Percy Jackson and the Daughter of Athena
by WalkingAlone2
Summary: At 18 years old, Percy Jackson was enjoying retirement and was ready to attend college at New Rome. But after an attack on his family, he realizes that his past years were a lie, a detailed fabrication that was engineered by someone very close to him. Percy has to wrestle with betrayal, anger, and some new powers to beat this new adversary and save the day.
1. Chapter 1

Fresh sunlight poured through the apartment window, waking Percy from his sleep. Though the sunlight was warm and welcoming, a shiver went down his spine; the same type of feeling he had when he knew something was going to go wrong. Goosebumps appeared on his skin and the hair on his arms stood up just slightly. Adrenaline flowed into Percy's body, tensing his muscles, sharpening his senses, and activating his ADHD mind. He sprang up in his bed with a gasp, his green eyes searching the entire room for anything out of the ordinary. He half-expected a monster outside his window, and half-expected his clock to say 10:00, making him late for move-in for the first day of college in New Rome. He looked at the clock to see that it was 5:47 a.m., giving him a good two hours and thirteen minutes before he was supposed to meet up with Annabeth to leave for college.

His eyes scanned the room to make sure nothing was out of the ordinary; his tan walls were now clean, having previously been peppered with several artifacts from his many battles over the years. Those artifacts were packed up in his suitcases at the foot of his twin bed. Now, however, the Minotaur's horn hung by itself in the middle of the wall across from the bed. Percy had thought about taking it down, but he had an inexplicable feeling that the horn was a good luck charm and had helped keep him from getting killed in his sleep.

He turned and saw the moonlace flower that Calypso had given him. Ever since Calypso had reunited with Leo, it seemed that the flower was thriving no matter what the weather was. It seemed to glow with an unearthly silver, and it was something that provided an ethereal feel to his room. All his problems seemed to be small when he would focus his gaze on the flower. However, he continued to feel uneasy as he tore his eyes across the room. In the corner by the door was still all of his armor and weapons, packed into an athletic duffel bag and ready to be transported to New Rome.

The familiar feeling that he was in mortal danger cascaded through his body, which scared Percy. He had not felt that way in months, and he dared to hope that it wouldn't come again. He remembered being surprised that he even made it to eighteen. A few weeks ago, he had confided in Annabeth that even though it made him sound like he was sixty, he wanted to retire from fighting monsters. It was time for other heroes to come into the spotlight, he wanted to stop worrying his mother (and Paul in turn), and more than anything, he wanted something peaceful in his life, something that was permanent. Everything from Percy's education, his parents, his summer camp, his relationship, his friendships, and even his own self-identity was defined by battle, violence, and fear. After Gaea rose up and the Seven combined their powers and resources to defeat her, Percy had allowed himself to hope. To hope for a time of peace. There wasn't another prophecy, and they had gone home. Once his little sister Cyrene was born, everything had changed. Percy wasn't just _hoping_ for peace, he _needed_ it.

Cyrene Jackson was three months old, and her blue eyes always shined with curiosity. She was the daughter of his mother and Paul Blofis. Though the baby was completely mortal, Percy's mother had told him that she was named after a princess and a warrior who liked wrestling lions. When Percy did a bit more research, he saw that Apollo had a huge crush on the original Cyrene. He thought that was so weird that he put it out of his head and promised himself that he wouldn't think of that again. Percy fell in love with her the first time he held her, and told himself that he would protect her from all harm, even if it meant staying out of her life. It was at that point where he started to understand the parenting style of the gods, something that scared him a little bit.

Percy slid off his bed and his feet touched the cold floor. Though his hair was tousled and he undoubtedly probably had a lot of sleep's residue on his face, his senses were in overdrive. He never lost Lupa's sensory training and it had saved his behind in multiple occasions. Though the apartment was dark, he could tell his way around through a combination of familiarity and his training. He remembered this odd looking boy coming to the door a bit ago, claiming to be the god Apollo. He pushed that out of his head. He made his way out the door and froze. His world seemed to tilt sideways. He smelled and heard his mother and Paul in the room next to his, but he couldn't smell Cyrene.

Percy silently dashed all throughout the apartment, praying that he caught a whiff of her natural smell of cinnamon rolls. He ran to Cyrene's makeshift room (which was his mother's author space) and saw that she wasn't in her regular sleep sack. The apartment's temperature dropped a few degrees, and the sunlight that seeped through no longer seemed welcoming. He ran to the bathroom, but couldn't find her among the sea-blue tiles and the beach-themed shower curtains. He ran to the living room and couldn't find her there either. He yelled her name, hoping that she would make some noise, or cry, or something. He yelled it again, but he was so distraught that his yells seemed deafened. He sensed his mother and Paul rushing out asking him what's wrong. Percy looked at them. He was praying that they were holding his baby sister, but they just looked at him with a confused and scared expression. He knew they were talking to him, but he couldn't hear the sounds coming out of their mouth. They saw his expression and his red eyes, and they put two and two together. The three of them started to tear up the apartment, all of them screaming Cyrene's name. Though Percy was not properly registering sound, his heart broke when he saw his mother's scream in despair.

Percy tore his eyes away and looked towards the window, then at the door. His heart leapt; the window was slightly ajar. He whisked over to the window and opened it. He looked down at the five stories they were up, and saw nothing. He ran to the door, opened it, and looked down his apartment hall. He took a lap around the floor, but found nothing pertaining to Cyrene. He ran back to the apartment and saw Paul on the phone and his mother rocking back and forth while staring off into space with bloodshot, tear-stained eyes. She kept muttering Cyrene over and over again. Percy went to the sink and splashed himself with water, and suddenly he could hear again. His mother's voice sounded broken and Paul was hurriedly speaking with the police.

Percy stepped into his mother's office and saw Cyrene's empty sleep sack. In the sack was a small note that was the same cream color as the container it was in. Anger coursed through his veins; this note was most likely going to be someone's ransom note, or the mark of the thief. He made a mental note to keep the letter and show it to Annabeth, Chiron, Jason, Piper, Thalia, and everyone else that he thought could help. He reached out towards the note, his hand trembling. He felt all the water run through the entire apartment, including in the pipes, the sinks, and the shower heads. He shakily opened the note and there was nothing in it. Percy stared at the blank piece of paper for a split second, then realized that the note he was holding was very light; almost too light to be regular paper.

He recognized the paper as Mycenaean paper, a type of material that is lighter than today's paper, but that only "comes alive in the eye of Apollo." Annabeth had taught him that when she was looking to redesign Olympus. Percy stepped to the sunlight streaming through the window and thrust the paper in the light. Golden light formed letters in the paper for a few seconds until the print was legible.

" _Welcome to your Trojan War."_


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or any related characters! Please, please, PLEASE review if you read; all feedback is greatly appreciated. You all are awesome, and thank you for reading my story!**

Voicemail. Annabeth's phone had gone to voicemail for the fifth time; but immediately to voicemail as opposed to the voice mailbox thing that happens after a few rings. Percy fought the urge to throw his phone against the wall; Annabeth was one of the only people who could help him with this problem. The note in his hand seemed to be crackling as the seconds went on. The son of Poseidon read the note over and over again. Who was this person? A new enemy? A demigod? No one knew about Cyrene except for a select few people, and he trusted all those people with his life. But if one of those people were compromised, Percy and his family may be in a bad position.

Percy looked at the clock and saw that it was 8:30; he was a half hour too late to leave for New Rome; he had already missed the deadline to move in by 10:00 a.m. He and Annabeth would not be able to get to San Francisco in an hour and a half even by Pegasus. They would have had to take Arion, the fastest horse in the known world, dangle sugar cubes in front of him and have him chase it to California. Even so, it would be a tight fit. Anger surged through his veins, and he felt water threatening to burst from the pipes, but he forced it down. This enemy had cost him his life in college; New Rome was unforgiving when it came to lateness. Whoever did this to him would hurt. They would hurt badly.

The Mycenaean paper started to feel dry in Percy's hand, and he realized that he only had a few seconds before the paper did its usual thing and crumbled into dust. Percy silently thanked Annabeth for her distribution of random facts as he bounded into the living room. His mother was still sitting in the same position. Her eyes looked fractured, almost like Piper's kaleidoscope eyes. However, the eyes had an air of defeat to it. Percy knelt in front of her and focused on her as he tuned out Paul's frantic yelling at the police. It seemed to take her seconds to register her son kneeling in front of her. Two streaks of dried tears led from her eyes down to her chin. She reached out with one shaky hand and caressed his face, sobbing once more. Percy noticed that no tears were coming down anymore. She took a deep breath and whispered to him.

"I always knew this life was going to catch up with me. I knew as soon as I had met your father, that he was going to change my life, for good and bad. But I let him. And you showed up in my life, this bundle of green-eyed joy. Your very name came from my hopes and dreams that you would live a peaceful life. But this is the line. This is the last straw, and frankly, I am out of tears. It's time for me to act. I need to find my child…I need to."

Percy thought back to the times when he was in a situation that may have resulted in him never coming back to his mother; when he was on Calypso's island, when Hera had taken his memory and was in California, when he and Annabeth tumbled into Tartarus, and frankly, every single mission and quest he had gone on. It broke his heart to know that he could have made his mother feel this way if he never came back. But he was going to come back from this mission. And so was Cyrene. Percy focused on the task at hand. He held up the Mycenean paper to his mother. The writing was still there, but the corners of the note had already turned into a powdery dust. His mother scanned the note over and over again, and Percy repeated it in case it broke apart before his mother could have a chance to actually read it. "It says, 'Welcome to your Trojan War.' I found it in Cyrene's sack a few minutes ago. I'm not sure who it is, but it has to be someone who's involved in the… _other_ side of my life." The note crumbled into dust.

Sally and Percy had an understanding regarding the demigod side of his life; when he was living with her, he would do his best to keep his demigod affairs as low-key as possible. It helped keep her sane, and frankly, helped keep Paul's head on straight. Paul had a bit of an existential crisis when he was introduced to Percy's world; asking questions like: _If the gods exist, then what is our purpose for them? There is a whole other world of Greek gods and monsters? Is there also Egyptian? Christian? Muslim? Are all gods real and we can just take our pick? Is one pantheon right and the others are wrong? What happens when you die? What if the guy on the metro who asked me for money was a god and I failed my test?_

That's part of the reason why Percy was so irritated when a young girl and a guy who claimed to be Apollo showed up at his door. Annabeth was already gone, having to deal with a family emergency involving her…interesting cousin. Sally was pregnant with Cyrene, and Percy wanted to give her as peaceful of a life as possible until he and Annabeth moved to New Rome.

Sally regarded the dust of the letter and took a shaky sigh. "Percy, this may be the last time that I blatantly tell you what to do. But I need you find Cyrene and bring her back to me. Whoever took her wanted to send a message to you as opposed to taking her life…if they wanted to kill her, they would've done it already. If you go and find that she's…gone…I will go to the Underworld myself and personally bring her back."

Her eyes had taken on a strength that caught Percy off guard; he saw another reason as to why Poseidon was attracted to her; those eyes and that look would make a god blanch. He tried for a grin. "I believe you. I'll find her, Mom."

He stood up to get ready to head out and saw Paul in the corner of the room, watching the two of them. He nodded to Percy respectfully, and Percy returned the gesture. He trusted him to take care of his mother; Paul's stronger than he looks as well. Percy ran to his room, grabbed his duffel bag of armor and weapons, and whistled as loudly as he could. Riptide was tucked safely in his pocket. He felt a familiar presence and Percy jumped out the window with his bag.

The fall air was cool and startling, waking his body up as well as his senses. His hair whipped back as if it was trying to fly off his head and the wind dried his eyes quickly. He fell through the crisp New York air, as the sounds of the city began to blend together. He turned his body and fell onto a mat of black fur and wings. Blackjack soared through New York on his wings and neighed affectionately. Percy telepathically asked Blackjack to take him to Camp Half-Blood; Chiron needed to hear this. Hopefully Annabeth was at camp so they could solve this problem together. With a destination, Blackjack poured on the speed and whisked through the air.

Percy never got used to the feeling of flying. It was absolutely thrilling; imagine riding a roller coaster and multiply it by twenty times, except you control how high, how fast, and how fun the roller coaster is. He would be having so much fun under most circumstances; flying to a monster? Still fun. Going to Camp Half-Blood? Still fun. Flying to face a Titan? Still fun. But flying to find his sister? All business. After ten to fifteen minutes, they approached Camp. Everyone was outside, enjoying the cool September air. Peleus looked lazily up and seemed to wink at Percy. They started to dive towards the Big House, and when they landed, a crowd started to form and they heard multiple people whispering and talking. Percy was scared that they already knew about his baby sister, but that was not the case.

" _Oh my gods…"_

" _Is that…"_

" _He's even cuter in person…"_

" _His hair…"_

" _His eyes really are green…"_

" _He ain't all that…"_

" _He's smaller than I thought he was…"_

" _What a nice horse…"_

" _HIS HAIR…"_

Percy walked into the Big House, and Chiron was there, playing Pinochle with Grover, who was now on the council of the Cloven Elders. There was a small demigod who looked to be about thirteen. He had coffee brown skin, curly black hair, and light brown eyes. He had the traditional orange camp shirt, but with black jeans instead of the standard casual blue. His sneakers were Black and Red Jordans. He seemed nervous to be around Chiron and Grover, probably because it was too many hooves to take in at once. It was a stark contrast to when Grover was a small, scared little goat who was frightened by Mr. D and Chiron playing the same game. Percy approached them and the kid turned and saw Percy. His eyes widened, and he backed up a little bit. "You're…Percy Jackson…."

Percy grinned. "Guilty. Nice shoes, man."

The kid looked down at his shoes and smiled at him. "Thanks!" He laughed and jogged out of the room. Percy turned to address Chiron and got attacked by an unseen force. Grover was giving him a huge hug, and Percy couldn't breathe. "Perrrrrrr-cy!"

Grover grinned and let Percy breathe. Once he stepped back, Percy saw that Grover had matured. His non-existent muscles were now ripped and toned. His goat legs seemed bigger and more muscular. His wispy goatee was now almost a full-grown beard, and his horns grew confidently out of his head, curling slightly at the top. He seemed to glow with authority and confidence. Chiron didn't look like he changed much, despite his hair being longer. Percy wondered if those centaur curlers were working properly. His eyes gleamed and a kindly smile was plastered on his face. Percy realized that he is probably not used to demigods having happy endings or even living this long. Percy smiled, but quickly remembered that he wasn't here to visit or to socialize. He was here on a mission. To Chiron though, at this moment, Percy lived a happy ending. And hopefully one day, he will live up to his namesake in that respect. But today was not that day.

"Chiron. Grover. I need an emergency meeting. _Now."_ Grover looked worried, but Chiron seemed to understand. He clopped over to the wall and pressed a rusty button. Alarms sounded, three blasts in succession. That combination meant that there was an emergency meeting in the Big House, and that all the cabin heads need to report to the Big House immediately.

Within one minute, over twenty cabin counselors with bright orange shirts were crowded into the Big House, around the ceremonious Ping-Pong Table. Percy recognized a few after a quick glance over; Jason from Zeus' cabin (Percy still felt like they needed a proper fight), Katie Gardner from Demeter's cabin, Will Solace from Apollo's cabin (who was in a relationship with Nico; go figure), Piper from Aphrodite's cabin, Connor and Travis Stoll from Hermes, Butch from Iris, Lou Ellen from Hecate, and Clovis from Hypnos. The room seemed to tingle from all the power in one spot. He also did a double take at Sherman representing Ares' cabin. He was so used to seeing Clarisse there. However, he remembered that Clarisse is at the University of Arizona. Percy felt a twinge of jealousy that Clarisse was able to get out of this life peacefully.

Out of all the campers, though, Percy couldn't find the one person he was looking for. He scanned the room once more and his heart did a leap when he saw a flash of blonde hair and gray eyes; however, he quickly realized that it was Malcolm instead of Annabeth.

Percy asked in slight desperation, "Does anybody know where Annabeth is?"

Muttering started to occur amongst the group. Jason stepped forward. "Percy, we thought that you knew where Annabeth was. She's been missing for weeks."

Before Percy had a chance to react, the doors of the Big House opened, and in walked a girl who looked to be about eighteen, with a silvery glow around her. She had a black shirt and black-and-silver camo pants. Her black hair was long and straight, her skin was tanned and healthy, and her body coursed with muscles. Arrows were slung across her back, and a sword and knife were attached to her hip. Though she looked different, Percy immediately recognized those electric blue eyes that seemed to have lightning striking in them. Thalia, the daughter of Zeus, was here.

Percy saw that her eyes were uncharacteristically darting back and forth, almost like a caged animal. As if on cue, those eyes locked onto his immediately. The air of the room turned tense, but Percy wasn't sure if that was because of the nervousness in the room or because of Thalia. She strode to him, grabbed his shirt, and pulled him so close that they were nose to nose. She smelled like Christmas; a mixture of candy canes, pine trees, gingerbread, chestnuts, and hot chocolate. Percy thought that was an odd thing to realize, but then Thalia spoke. Her voice was tight, controlled, but brimming with anger.

"Where is she?"

Percy saw that her eyes seemed to strike with lightning again. He realized the severity of the situation in that split second. Annabeth wasn't here, she hadn't been in contact with any of her friends or anyone from camp. So now, Cyrene was missing _and_ Annabeth was missing. Percy couldn't shake the feeling that she had been taken. And he felt like the same person who took Annabeth was the same one who took Cyrene. Thalia's eyes struck again. She pulled him closer. Counselors started to crowd in to pull her away, but the air around her crackled with ozone. Through gritted teeth, Thalia asked the same question that Percy, and probably everyone in the room had been thinking.

"Where…is…Annabeth?"


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or any related characters! Please, please, PLEASE review if you read; all feedback is greatly appreciated. You all are awesome, and thank you for reading my story!**

Percy didn't have time for this, and he certainly did not feel like being blamed for something that he was truly worried about himself. He gave Thalia his wolf stare, a look that had developed from Lupa's training and made everything on the receiving end feel like they were not as tough as Percy was. In the back of the room, he heard a few frightened squeals.

Percy tightly responded, "Let…go."

Thalia maintained eye contact even through his wolf stare, something that caught Percy off guard. Even Annabeth would balk at the sight of the expression. She shook her head. "Not until you tell me where she is."

Percy took her wrist and flipped her over his shoulder. Thalia landed hard on her back against the wooden floor. A few people drew their weapons. Thalia sprung up and her hand went towards her arrows. Percy's went towards his pocket. Chiron slammed his hand on the Ping-Pong table. Everyone turned their attention to Chiron as he regarded all of us. "Thalia, Percy does not know where Annabeth is. He came here, called for an emergency meeting, and asked where she was. Percy, you know better than to resort to physical violence towards an ally. Everyone else in this room should be ashamed of themselves. You are camp counselors; your job does not include standing around and watching simple misunderstandings turn violent."

Percy flashed his eyes towards Thalia, who was still staring at him. He could practically feel the adrenaline going off her body as she looked at him. The counselors slowly put away their weapons and looked ashamed of their actions; they looked like high school students who were just admonished for screaming, "Fight! Fight!" at two people getting in each other's faces.

Percy reluctantly tore his gaze away from her, but kept his hand near his pocket in case Thalia tried a quick run-through with her electric spear. She always had this effect on him, where she brings out the competitive side in him. The thought of Cyrene brought Percy out of his thoughts and onto the task at hand. He stepped forward. "The reason why I came here is because my baby sister, Cyrene, is missing."

Whispers and discomfort rippled through the crowd. Three months ago, most of them had received a letter from Annabeth with the update that Percy Jackson has a baby sister; Cyrene Bianca Jackson. The letter included a picture of Cyrene as a newborn. It was such a hit with the camp that people began to auction off copies of the letter and picture for those who didn't get it.

Jason looked at Percy with sad eyes. Percy was sure he knew what it was like to lose a sister. Piper's hands went to her mouth. Even Clovis woke up for a second. Grover stopped chewing on a soda can and stood up. Percy didn't dare look at Thalia, though; he felt like he would get angry all over again. He took a deep breath. The situation sounded weird when it was said out loud.

"I believe someone took her. In her sack, I found a note on Mycenean paper that said, 'Welcome to your Trojan War.' Mycenean paper is only available to gods, demigods, monsters, and clear-sighted mortals. My mother concluded that they had taken her to send a message to me, maybe to lure me into a trap. To her, they would've killed Cyrene if they wanted to. However, they took her and is most likely expecting me to follow after her."

Will put down his water bottle. "Your Trojan War? This person or monster must know about Greek history. Do you think they will try to re-create the Trojan War?"

Connor rolled his eyes. "Yeah, and Cyrene is the Helen of Troy in this situation? Be serious. This individual is obviously trying to get in Percy's head."

Murmurs of agreement went through the crowd. Piper said, "I think both Connor and Will have a point. Whoever did this knew exactly what they did; they did this on purpose. Whether the Trojan War mention was literal or an allusion to something, Percy is being led into a trap. And you can't fall for it."

Percy thought about it for a second. "Maybe. But I will find whoever took her. I was going to ask Annabeth for help; she was supposed to leave with me for New Rome this morning at 8:00. The last time I saw her was a few weeks ago, but she had left for a family emergency in Boston. This morning, though, she was nowhere to be found, so I assumed she was here."

Malcolm's eyes reminded Percy eerily of Annabeth, moving many miles an hour. "She's been MIA for weeks. By a show of hands, who thinks that these two cases are somehow related to one another." About sixty percent of the room raised their hands. People kept putting in their two cents, and it turned into a heated conversation.

The group of demigods and cloven individuals stayed there, arguing, collaborating, and brainstorming for hours, up until sunset. Percy had found a chair and was staring at the ground for most of the meeting, his mind racing at the possibilities. He contemplated what monsters may have re-formed from Tartarus, what demigods may have a grudge strong enough to kidnap his baby daughter, and what gods may be doing so to test him. He felt like Nico, sitting miserably in the back of the room as conversation ensued. He then remembered that Nico was not like that anymore, at least not since he connected with Hazel and started dating Will. Percy did a quick scan, but could not find Nico anywhere. He was probably busy doing something for Hades.

Most of the counselors ending up forgetting to eat lunch or dinner since they were so busy collaborating. After that time, the group had come up with a few theories about Annabeth.

She was embroiled in a private quest and was not able to reach out to anyone (Percy thought that was unlikely; Annabeth's communication skills were unparalleled).

She was involved with her cousin, who was apparently is mixed up with the Norse gods (Percy had a hard time wrapping his head around that one).

She was dead (Percy stopped himself from attacking Sherman for that).

She may be avoiding/ignoring Percy (He was skeptical about that; however annoying Percy was to her, Annabeth was always straight up with Percy and didn't beat around the bush).

She may already be in New Rome, waiting for Percy (He liked that one the best, but still thought it was unlikely).

After the last idea, everyone seemed to be uncomfortable with bringing up any more depressing options. Once Chiron caught onto this, he nodded his head. "It has been a long, heavy day for a lot of people, some more than others. What we know for sure is that Cyrene is missing, and Annabeth is missing. We all know that Annabeth is usually proficient with communicating with camp. A kidnapping is not something that can be dismissed out of hand. Let's take the night, and we will meet at daybreak to make a decision about what to do."

It reminded Percy of Hephaestus' advice on Calypso's island, where he said that daybreak is a good time for decisions. Calypso had said that he would be able to escape his prophecy, which was similar to what Hera had said disguised as that old, smelly woman: " _In the sea, no monster would bother you. You could begin a new life, live to a ripe old age, and escape a great deal of pain and misery that is in your future…You'd be safe at the bottom of the sea."_ For a split second, Percy wished that he had stayed on the island; he would have been able to keep everyone safe from his poisonous life.

Percy felt dejected. This was definitely pain and misery for him. He stood up and walked over to the Poseidon cabin. The walls were made of rough gray stone, with pieces of seashell and coral that line the floor. The gray stone walls seemed to glow red, orange, and black as the light from the sunset filtered into the cabin. The cabin was empty, and the fish fountain that usually sprays large amounts of water was now spitting out small splashes. The gray sea rock had started to get mossy. Percy remembered the time when he had cleaved the fountain in half, but Poseidon surprised him with a rebuilt fountain after the events of the Seven. Percy looked up and saw the bronze Hippocampi and the underwater plants and corals that Tyson had added to the room, making his heart ache for both Cyrene and Tyson. He wondered how they would get along with one another. Tyson probably would fall in love with Cyrene as soon as he held her, just as Percy did. However, he probably would have to Iris-Message Tyson in order to show him Cyrene since his brother was constantly working under the sea now.

Percy looked back at the fountain and had an idea. At the bottom of the fountain were drachmas, golden coins that Percy assumed were reminders to stay in contact with those he loves. Percy put his hand out and exhaled. The water in the bottom of the fountain whirled into a cyclone of mist, turning into a large sea spray. It created a rainbow in the middle of the cabin. He asked Iris to accept his blessing and flipped the drachma into the mist. His heart caught in his throat in anticipation. "Show me Annabeth Chase." The rainbow broke in half and the coin instead fell straight to the bottom of the fountain. Percy looked at the drachma and picked up another one. Maybe that one was broken. He repeated the process, but this time asked for Frank. It did not work again. He tried Reyna, and then Hazel, all to see if Annabeth was at New Rome. However, he was not able to connect to anything or anyone.

Percy slumped to the floor. He took out his phone to call them, but realized that after all of their adventures, Percy didn't even think to get the Seven's phone numbers. His phone buzzed twice, alerting Percy. He rushed to grab it, praying it was Annabeth. Instead, it was Paul. The text said, _"Police refuse to help; they say Cyrene must be missing for more than two days before we come to them. It's bullshit. We will follow up. Hope everything is going well. Stay safe. We will find her."_

Percy yelled and punched the gray stone wall, making a dent. His world was falling apart slowly; his mother was distraught and panicking, Paul has made no progress with the police (in case the threat turned out to be mortal), Thalia was mad at him, Cyrene was gone, Annabeth is missing, and he is utterly alone. Percy walked out of the cabin in need of some fresh air. The red-orange sky had turned purplish-black as night began to fall. Percy headed to the beach and sat on the sand, looking at the water rushing in as tides. Sand was sticking to his dark-wash blue jeans, and his black shirt rippled in the calm sea breeze. He thought back to Cyrene's birth and how terrified he was to hold her. He was scared to drop her and be awarded the Worst Brother in the World award. His mother was taking huge breaths as if she had been holding her breath for years. But the happiness in her mother's eyes as she held Cyrene made it all worth it for her. He made a quick promise to himself that once he finds Cyrene, he will never lose her again. Whatever it takes.

Hours passed by, and Percy was still sitting in the same spot. The waves leapt and crashed at a rhythmic pace. The water residue would just barely reach Percy's feet, and then would get called home to the ocean. He usually felt at home by the ocean, but even now, the ocean seemed empty without Cyrene and Annabeth. He looked up in Zeus' domain. Without the regular New York pollution, all the stars in the sky were visible. They glowed and were arranged in different constellations. He saw Zoe running across the sky for all eternity, and he thought about Thalia. He may have been too hard on her and failed to do what Chiron always pushed him to do; put himself in someone else's shoes. Losing Luke, losing Zoe, losing Hunters, and now losing Annabeth must be hard on her. And Percy flipped her.

A sigh escaped him. His senses told him it was around midnight. Over the past hours, he had heard and smelled Grover, Jason and Piper approach him at different times. However, they all seemed to change their mind at the last second and left. Percy wondered where Leo was; probably off on some adventure in the Argo with Calypso. It seemed like every single one of his friends was having a better time than he was.

Percy heard footsteps and smelled a familiar Christmas-y scent coming from behind him. Percy expected Thalia to stop and walk away, but she came and sat next to him on the beach. The sand seemed to glow a heavenly (or Olympus-y? Elysium-y?) white around where she sat, and the water took on a silvery glitter. Her power radiated off of her, but instead of its usual harsh way, it emanated off of her in a comforting manner. Percy wondered if she had any control over that.

Percy felt Thalia turn to look at him. It made him uncomfortable after a while because it seemed like she could see his feelings. Without a word, she opened up her arms for a hug. Percy finally looked at Thalia. Her blue eyes were tinged red from crying, and she was nervously biting her lip.

She was scared.

Just like Percy was.

Though hair was pulled back in a long, black ponytail, it was still blowing a bit in the wind. She seemed to have changed into a tanktop and some short shorts. Even in casual attire and with such a human expression on her face, Thalia glowed with the light of a Greek goddess. He wondered if she had gotten more powerful as the times went on.

Percy leaned into her arms, and he realized that he had not been hugged in a while (since he saw Annabeth). As soon as he entered Thalia's arms, he broke down in her arms. Tears flowed out his eyes as if Poseidon himself was using his powers to bring them out. His screams came out as wounded, hoarse, wails. He realized that this was the first time he had broken down in years, and thought that the Romans would definitely not approve of this weak display of emotion. He wondered if this was how Annabeth felt when he was missing for all those weeks, and he realized that he would not want to wish this upon his worst enemy. He silently apologized to Annabeth over and over again as he clutched at Thalia's shirt. He cried about everything his mother has gone through, he cried about missing Cyrene, he cried about Zoe, he cried about Annabeth, he cried about his experience in Tartarus, he cried about the realization that he will never have a normal life.

Thalia hugged him tightly, and Percy could feel her own silvery tears fall on his cheek. Percy didn't know if Hunters were trained by Artemis to be comforting, but she made him feel safe. She started to quietly hum a song that Percy had never heard before. It was in ancient Greek, but Percy didn't feel like translating. However, the more Thalia sang, the more tired Percy became. Before Percy knew it, Thalia had extended her bare legs and Percy knocked out with his head in her lap. He fell asleep looking at the silvery glow of the water and listening to Thalia's song.


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or any related characters! Please, please, PLEASE review if you read; all feedback is greatly appreciated. You all are awesome, and thank you for reading my story!**

Percy woke up in his own bed at 6:47, having thirteen minutes to make it to the Big House. He realized that he was in the Poseidon Cabin and immediately remembered his meltdown the previous night. Percy covered his face with a pillow. The big Greek hero with the beautiful girlfriend, amazing mother and spectacular powers had cried last night. He hadn't just cried though; he cried in the arms of Thalia Grace. It's not like he and Thalia weren't good friends, they were, it was just…Percy wasn't sure if he had helped Thalia break her oath. Though it was not anything romantic, he doubted Hunters walked around hugging, crying with, and comforting boys as well as allow them to fall asleep with their heads in the Hunters' laps. Percy didn't know if Thalia felt like it was weird, because he was prepared to apologize if it was. He knew he definitely wanted to thank her for being there for him the previous night and not deciding that he needed space like the others.

He whisked through his room to brush his hair and teeth, wash his face, put on lotion, deodorant, and cologne. Percy threw on a dark blue shirt with faded black jeans. He jogged to the Big House. The cold air provided no escape from the heat rising to Percy's face. He felt antsy, but not about the meeting…about Thalia. At 7:00 a.m., the counselors plus Chiron and Grover were back in the Big House. A few of them were chatting about having to tiptoe outside so they wouldn't wake the rest of their cabin.

Chiron called the meeting to order just as Thalia had walked into the room. She had on a black and gray bomber jacket, a black T-shirt underneath, and black jeans. Her hair was worn down and it flowed down to her mid-chest. She made eye contact with Percy and the hairs on his neck stood up. He turned away quickly and towards Chiron.

"Does anyone have any decisions as to what should be done regarding this situation with Cyrene and Annabeth?" Chiron swept his gaze over the room. The counselors seemed to shrink under his eye. Percy knew what he needed to do. He stood up and looked at everyone in the room. "I need to go on a mission. To Oakland Hills, California."

Chiron raised an eyebrow. "To do what?"

"To visit Camp Jupiter," Percy lied easily. "The Iris-Messages aren't working, so I believe that I need to go to Camp Jupiter to see if Annabeth is already there. I also want to check on Camp Jupiter, because if this is one person who is doing this, they're going for everything I love."

Chiron regarded Percy for a bit, then nodded his head. "If you want to, you may go on a quest."

Percy shook his head. "Not a quest. A mission. It'll be a quick trip, there and back."

He didn't feel like going to consult Rachel about the trip, nor did he feel like hearing some big prophecy surrounding his sister and girlfriends' fates. Percy had a lack of concrete answers regarding where his sister and where his girlfriend was, and that was frustrating to him. He had planned to take Apollo's old advice and go find Old Nereus. Once he captures Nereus, he'll be able to find out exactly where Cyrene and Annabeth were. Grover stopped staring at Percy and stood up. All eyes turned to the satyr. "I'll join you. We need to check on Camp Jupiter as soon as we can."

Chiron eyed Percy. The latter felt like Chiron could always see straight through him. The centaur cleared his throat instead of calling Percy out on his suspicions. "Percy, will you take one more on your adventure? Though it is not a quest, I do believe three is a number that is manageable, yet strong."

Percy knew he should've picked Jason, or Malcolm, or even Piper, but he immediately said, "Thalia." He turned to look at her and she was grinning. She stood up and nodded. "Of course, Kelp Head. Let's do this."

Percy was glad things weren't weird between the two of them. He turned towards Chiron. "I have my partners."

Chiron nodded. "Go pack then. Be ready to leave in a half hour. I will visit the stables and have pegasi ready for your travels. The rest of you, go update your cabins on what is happening and commence with regular activities for the day. We don't want them to become preoccupied with something that doesn't concern them…yet."

The counselors filed out and Percy headed out last. He stopped and turned when he heard Chiron call his name. The teacher sighed and bowed his head slightly. "Do be careful with emotions. They can be positive things, as they can help enhance your abilities or can keep you out of harm's way. They can also be tricky things and nearly impossible to control. If you try to complete a mission led by emotions, you may end up in Hades. Do you understand what I'm trying to tell you?" Percy wasn't sure if Chiron meant Hades literally or figuratively, but he nodded nonetheless. He needed to go on this quest…mission…with as clear a head as possible; anger is as effective of a killer as a sword.

Percy stepped out the door and jogged to the Poseidon Cabin. He rummaged through his duffel bag and took out Tyson's new wristwatch he gave Percy. Percy clicked it and it expanded into a new, golden and green shield with a trident in the middle. The shield had straps that he could sling on like a backpack. He put on the harness, then put the shield on his back. He tightened it so the shield fit snugly. He uncapped Riptide and regarded the sword for a second. He capped it again and it shrunk back to a pen. He pulled on some combat boots and some cargo pants, but kept the dark blue shirt. He made sure his armor was in his duffel bag. Percy took a bag of ambrosia along with some golden drachmas and put both in his bag. He took one last look at the Poseidon cabin, silently thanked Tyson and Poseidon, and walked to the beach once more.

"You know I think about you every time I see the sea."

Percy turned to see Jason walking up to him. His orange shirt contrasted with the SPQR tattoos on his arm and the scars on him, making him look like an elite Camp Half-Blood warrior. Percy figured that's what he might look like. Now that Percy had combat boots on, compared to Jason's sneakers, Percy was an inch taller than Jason. His blue eyes bore into Percy's, just as his sister does.

Percy turned back to the sea. "Yeah, well, I think about my family when I look to the sea. Years from now, I saw myself taking my family on a private cruise out on the ocean and letting my children into my world. I would have loved it if they loved the sea as much as I did. But in light of recent events, I've been thinking…maybe I should stay away from the sea. It's brought me just as much pain as it has joy."

Jason looked out to the sea as well. The waves didn't seem to crash as aggressively when the son of Zeus turned his gaze on them. "Whether your family knows this part of your life or not, they will love you. And just as you would want to know them inside and out, I'm sure that they would want to get to know every part of you."

Percy's throat constricted when a thought entered his head. "What if I find both of them, but I need to choose between Cyrene or Annabeth? I don't think I would be able to make that choice."

Jason shook his head. "We've been demigods too long, man. That's not up to you to make that decision. So don't. Save both of them. Find a way to do so. We're not Titans, and we're not gods. We're human. I know that when the time comes, you'll make the right decision."

Percy fought the urge to smile. "Now you sound like my mother."

Jason flashed him a grin. "Is that such a bad thing?" He clapped Percy's shoulder and trekked up the beach with his hands in his pockets. Piper was waiting around the area where the grass turns into sand. She had one of Jason's purple Camp Jupiter shirts on, and was hugging her arms to protect against the cool, morning sea breeze. Percy was glad that Jason had found someone that he can have peace with. Camp Half-Blood had divided into two factions; Team Jasper vs. Team Percabeth. They were split as to which couple was cuter, which couple's dynamic they preferred, which one was going to last the longest, etc. Percy wasn't sure that he liked being a Twilight-themed couple, especially since the merged names sounded like actual first names to him. He figured that things could get weird very quickly if they ever met a Jasper or a Percabeth.

Percy stayed on the beach for a bit, then headed back towards the grass. He looked to his left, towards the forest, and saw Thalia with her battle gear. She had on a black shirt with black-and-gray camo pants, with combat boots. Her arrows were slung over her shoulder and her spear was resting across her back. She was behind a tree, listening to something. Percy immediately went into reconnaissance mode and tiptoed to where Thalia was, just as Lupa taught. He felt at a different kind of home when in the forest thanks to Lupa's intense training. Thalia, as a Hunter, probably felt the same way. Though he was half trying to be quiet, he was also half trying to scare Thalia. Unfortunately, she sensed him easily and put her finger on his mouth without turning. They looked on opposite sides of a large oak tree and Percy saw Grover and Juniper arguing.

Juniper wore a brown dress, and green tears were flowing down. "Grover, you said that everything with Gaea was going to be the last excursion. The LAST ONE! And now you're leaving again, and I don't know if I can handle it."

Grover sighed. "Juniper, I will be fine. I have two of the most powerful demigods in modern history-"

Thalia and Percy bumped fists.

"-with me on this trip. It will only be a few days and I will be right back."

Juniper shook her head and leaves fell out. "You're not listening. What if you don't come back? I will feel guilty for the rest of my days that I didn't try hard enough to stop you. What if you die? What if the same person who took Annabeth and who took Cyrene takes you?! I don't know what I'd do. Percy always drags you into these extremely dangerous missions and just assumes that you're going to join him. Does he ever come to me? Will he come to my tree and tell me that my Grover is dead one day? To him, you're a warrior. But to me, you're my Grover. My _engyesis._ "

Thalia and Percy did not feel like bumping fists.

Thalia looked at Percy with wide eyes and mouthed, " _Engyesis_."

In ancient Greek, _engyesis_ meant being someone's fiancé. Percy felt terrible. He felt bad for not staying in contact with Grover enough to even know he was engaged, and he felt like he really was torturing Juniper by constantly asking her to give up her fiancé for a deadly battle full of merciless monsters/enemies. Thalia and Percy looked at each other. Thalia had concern in her eyes and Percy's eyes probably mirrored that same sentiment. They came to a silent decision and they both crept away, avoiding sticks, large spots of leaves, and anything else that would've given them away.

Thalia and Percy walked towards the Big House. Thalia sighed. "Our Grover is engaged."

Percy kept his eyes forward. "Yeah…I feel bad. Should we even take Grover on this mission?"

Thalia pursed her lips. "I'm not sure. He would be a good addition, and he and I's relationship to Annabeth makes us good candidates to search for her. However, he's a grown goat. We should leave it up to him."

They arrived at the Big House and heard Grover jogging up from the forest. They stopped before they entered so Grover could catch up. He had on a breastplate and two large hunting knives that reminded Percy of Ares. Percy did a double take and Thalia seemed impressed.

"Wow…those are large," he pointed out.

Grover smiled. "Yes, yes they are."

Thalia put a hand on his shoulder. "Grover, are you sure you want to go on this mission? You have Juniper to think about. Do you think that she is okay with it?"

Grover sniffed. "She is worried, but she's always worried. I've led the nymphs and satyrs into battle against Gaea. I am the emissary of Pan and I'm on the Council of the Cloven. I fight my hardest to preserve wildlife. I do my best to do as much as I can for this planet. Honestly, I don't know if I could live with myself if I didn't join the quest to find Annabeth. I have this deep desire to do as much good as I can, and Juniper knows that. And just between the three of us, I have yet to tell the camp…I'm engaged to Juniper! So I'm definitely coming back for that."

Grover's wide grin made both Thalia and I smile and laugh. In a rare moment, we were 13 years old again, screaming and yelling in excitement for Grover's engagement. We exchanged hugs and congratulations until Chiron opened the door like a skeptical parent of some guy's date for the night. He raised his eyebrows until we quieted down and followed him through the Big House in embarrassment. He led us through the back door and standing there were three pegasi. The first was Blackjack, who winked at me when he saw me. The second was a white-haired Pegasus, who Percy immediately recognized as Porkpie. There was another cream-colored Pegasus, who Percy recognized as Guido, someone who helped him in the Battle of Manhattan.

Chiron gestured towards the Pegasi. "These will be your rides to San Francisco. On a regular plane, traveling non-stop, one would get there in about six hours. After pulling a few strings though, these Pegasi have been blessed by Hermes for this very endeavor. This means they will be going at super-sonic speeds. They will be traveling on the winds. Your commute should be shortened to about two and a half hours."

Grover and Thalia cheered and hopped on Guido and Porkpie, respectively. Percy felt nothing but gratitude. Chiron always came through whenever he needed to and he always gave Percy what he needs to succeed. He could not have asked for a better teacher, or a better mentor. Percy smiled up at Chiron who returned the smile to his former student. "And you, be careful. I don't think I will keep my favor with the gods if I am responsible for the death of Poseidon's favorite son."

Percy nodded. "Chiron, I will come back. With something concrete."

Chiron shifted nervously. "And…remember, Percy. Vengeance is one of the most powerful enemies that everyone faces at one point or another. Keep that in mind whenever you find out who took Annabeth and your sister."

Percy looked towards Blackjack. Instead of nodding or agreeing, Percy just locked eyes with Chiron and hopped on Blackjack. Percy looked over at his two friends and they were smiling towards Percy. He concluded that he wouldn't want to be going on this mission with anybody else. With one beckon, Blackjack and the other Pegasi took off in the air and with a sonic boom, flung through the sky.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or any related characters! Please, please, PLEASE review if you read; all feedback is greatly appreciated. You all are awesome, and thank you for reading my story!**

" _Annabeth Chase!"_

 _A cheer erupted over the crowd. Percy looked over to the side where the girls of Goode High were stationed. Annabeth was the next one in the long line of students. For some reason, their high school graduated the girls first, then the boys would cross. Annabeth was decked out in white graduation robes, topped off with her cap and tassel. Her blonde hair fell in curls underneath her cap. She walked gracefully across the stage and shook the principal's hand. She shook Paul's hand, shook a few other administrators' hands, then stopped to pose for a picture. The smile she gave the camera made Percy's heart do a salsa. Percy stood up and yelled as loud as he could, cheering for Annabeth. She looked at him and focused that brilliant smile of hers onto him, which made Percy thank Athena for creating this vision. She was valedictorian of their class, and though she had transferred to Goode her senior year, she was leaps and bounds ahead of every student and was every teacher's favorite student. Every time she would give a right answer and go above and beyond with her participation in Paul's Advanced Placement Literature class, Paul would look at me as if asking "How did you get her?"_

 _Annabeth stepped off the stage and waved to her father, her brothers, and Percy's mother, who were sitting towards the top of the football arena that they were in. They were cheering and taking pictures, and Annabeth walked back to her seat. She smiled at Percy when she passed by his row, and Percy returned the smile. After a half hour, Percy heard his name._

" _Percy Jackson!"_

 _The crowd erupted in cheer, and heat went straight to Percy's face. He looked at the crowd and saw that one specific section of the crowd was yelling and jumping up and down; he saw Chiron in his Mr. Brunner disguise and saw that a large group of Camp Half-Blood campers had showed up at Percy's graduation. So many of them came that they had taken up a whole section of the football stadium. Percy had never felt so happy in his life. He looked over to his mother who was crying of happiness. She was pregnant and was due any day. But that didn't stop her from screaming, crying, waving her arms and yelling his name. Percy felt like he had dust in his eyes and went to go shake Paul's hand. Paul whispered in his ear, "You deserve all of this and more. Congratulations, Percy. I am blessed to be in you and your mother's life."_

 _Percy pulled Paul into a big hug, and posed for the picture. The guy who was taking pictures had long hair and pimples all over his face, with a huge Adam's apple. He had most of his face hidden behind his camera, and beckoned for Percy to step two strides to the left. He does so, and gives him a huge smile. Once the picture was taken, Percy looked out to Annabeth. The cheers and screams faded into the background as he and Annabeth made eye contact. Annabeth was standing up and smiling so wide that it must have hurt her face. She was jumping up and down, which was dangerous in her heels. She mouthed to Percy, "I love you."_

 _Percy grinned at her. Kronos was done, Gaea was defeated, and Percy was excited for what the future held._

Percy woke up still on Blackjack. He didn't realize that he had fallen asleep, but the dream he had was definitely weird. He usually had some twisted, scary, precognitive dreams. But this dream was all pleasant memories of he and Annabeth's high school graduation. Percy turned to Grover to see him knocked out as well. He turned to Thalia and she was awake, flying through the air on her Pegasus. She looked like she was terrified; her throat was constricted and she was taking short breaths as if she was hyperventilating. Percy called out Thalia's name, but his voice was lost to the wind. Percy telepathically asked Blackjack to pull up next to Porkpie. Blackjack did so, and he banked towards his friend. Percy was now close enough to reach out and touch Thalia, which he did. He gripped her shoulder and Thalia whipped towards him with fear in his eyes. Percy smiled at her and Thalia looked away. "You okay?"

Thalia closed her eyes and turned her nose up. "I'm terrified, Jackson. I would have fallen asleep if I could, but my fear of heights is keeping me wide awake."

The Pegasi started to dive down, at speeds undoubtedly reaching Mach-level. Thalia screamed for her life while Grover's snoring was swept up by the wind. Percy reached out for Thalia's hand, and she grasped it for dear life. They dove down, passing through multiple clouds. Percy felt Thalia shiver. He closed his eyes and warmed the water in her body, effectively creating an internal heater for her. Thalia looked over at him as the dive reached its top speed. She laced her fingers with Percy, as both of them screamed; one out of fear and one out of exhilaration. They finally saw Camp Jupiter hundreds of feet below them, and Thalia quickly let go of Percy's hand. The camp had its familiar bowl-shaped valley that was accentuated by smaller hills, golden plains and stretches of forest. There was a small city of white marble buildings with red roofs, surrounded by columns, fountains, statues, with a large coliseum and arena. Across the lake stood the temples, and to the west was the Oakland Hills. The sun produced golden light down on the Camp, making it seem almost like Olympus.

They touched down on the Oakland Hills, behind the River Tiber that had wiped away Percy's blessing of Achilles. Percy reflexively rubbed his arms, remembering them steaming after he had gotten out. His senses told him that it was about 10:00 a.m. One day ago, Percy was supposed to have moved into New Rome. That fact made Percy's heart ache. There went his shot for a normal life.

Grover woke up so violently that he fell off of Guido. Thalia looked across the River Tiber in wonder of Camp Jupiter. Guido snickered as Grover got up with leaves and sticks in his hair and horns. On Blackjack's back, Percy looked across the river to New Rome. The area was bustling with demigods and legacies who had moved into the University of New Rome. Annabeth had told him that today was the University of New Rome's freshman year convocation, which is probably where everyone was headed to. Instead, he's on a mission to find out who took his sister and his girlfriend. He'd try his best not to kill whoever did it.

Thalia followed his gaze, looked at Percy, then called his name softly. "Percy."

Percy drew his attention back to his mission and felt his wolf stare on his face. "Sorry. Blackjack, Guido, Porkpie, we're headed to the Mess Hall. Frank and Reyna are probably there for their daily brunch. Frank let that fact slip during our last party on the Argo. Blackjack, I'll show you where to go. The rest of you, follow."

Blackjack took flight and they headed over the River Tiber to the Mess Hall. On the ground, they saw demigods running around, sparring with one another and people bullying fauns who were begging for money. Grover bleated. "Look at all these homeless satyrs, man. Perpetuating stereotypes. Do the satyrs here not go on any missions?"

Percy shook his head. "Afraid not, G-man. Satyrs here are called 'fauns,' and they are not the highest class individuals at Camp Jupiter. They're used for entertainment, which is weird to me. Especially because my best friend is one."

Percy shot a smile at Grover, who nervously looked down at the fauns once more. The Pegasi landed at the Decumanian Gate, by the entrance to the Mess Hall. There were multiple guards there, and they all readied their spears. They had Roman helmets and breastplates that reminded Percy of Sparta. Percy shot them his Wolf Stare and they hesitated attacking him. He hopped of Blackjack and walked closer. "I'm here to see Frank and Reyna."

One of the guards, a skinny kid who seemed about 6'5, laughed. "No one is allowed to visit our Praetors without a previous appointment."

Percy raised an eyebrow. "Not even a visit from Percy Jackson."

The eyes underneath the helmet grew wide. "You're Percy…Jackson…?"

Percy grinned. "Call Frank out here, please."

The kid's partner tapped on his ear (Percy didn't know how a Bluetooth worked underneath a Spartan helmet) and said that someone who calls himself Percy Jackson is at the Decumanian Gate. Within seconds, the doors opened and Frank stood there with Reyna at his side. The two of them had five guards each. Frank had grown, both in height and in muscle. He stood about 6'4 now, with a breastplate that just barely fit his chest. He wore armored battle pants and boots with his outfit, and his muscles bulged from underneath the purple shirt. Reyna looked like her usual self, but her eyes sparkled with happiness when she saw Percy.

Frank and Percy stared each other down. Thalia looked between the two of them and her hand crept to her spear. Frank broke into a smile and Percy matched it. They ran towards each other and Frank pulled Percy into a huge hug. Frank put Percy down and shook hands with both Grover and Thalia. Reyna reached for a handshake, but Percy pulled her into a hug, which prompted Reyna to blush. Frank and Reyna stepped back and Percy couldn't help but notice that they made a good team.

Frank smiled once more. "Welcome to Camp Jupiter, Percy and company. You all must be hungry. Come on in, we still have leftovers from brunch. The food is blessed by Ceres, who is Demeter to Greeks, meaning that it has no calories, but all of the taste. Sam, can you take their Pegasi to Hazel's Horse Hotel? Make sure they get the sugar cube package experience."

The 6'5 guy nodded and started to walk off. The Pegasi bounded after him, talking amongst themselves about what this premium package entails and if they get room service. Percy grinned at the Pegasi's excitement and turned to Grover and Thalia. "Frank, this is my best friend Grover, and my best friend Thalia."

Frank and Reyna put a fist on their chest and bowed to Percy's partners. Grover and Thalia looked taken aback, but they hurriedly mimicked the gesture. Percy realized he was the only one left upright, so he beckoned all of them towards the mess hall. As Frank and Reyna were leading, Reyna turned. "We are praetors of Camp Jupiter. Any friend of Percy Jackson's is an ally of ours." Thalia raised an eyebrow at Percy and he shot her a grin. She rolled her eyes, but was hiding a smile.

Frank's idea of "leftovers from brunch" was freshly made pancakes, waffles, bacon, oatmeal, hashbrowns, eggs, French toast, donuts, and orange juice. Thalia and Grover _mauled_ the food. They ate so much that Percy was worried that the food would start to include calories. Percy didn't do too bad himself, finishing up multiple plates of food.

Frank and Reyna sat across from them on the low-hanging couches. Frank grinned. "Come to beg for your room at the University of New Rome? We told you when move-in day was, and you were late, but if you slide me some of that bacon, I may be convinced."

Percy tried for a dry laugh, but it came out as a sarcastic cough. "Frank, I wish. But I'm here on business."

Frank and Reyna both leaned in. Reyna's face was neutral, but her eyes expressed worry. "What's wrong? What happened?"

Percy sighed. The invisible servants whisked away the food and put some water and peppermints down for them. "Long story short, someone took my baby sister Cyrene. And Annabeth has been missing for weeks. I was praying to the gods that she had already checked into the University of New Rome."

Percy knew that it was a long shot, but Frank and Reyna's faces confirmed the worst. Frank replied, "Percy, we were waiting on you and her to check in. But she has not been here since the last time everyone was here."

Percy looked down. Annabeth wasn't in New York, wasn't at Camp Half-Blood, and wasn't at Camp Jupiter? Where could she possibly be? The other possibilities that Camp Half-Blood brainstormed were getting more and more believable, which wasn't a good thing. Reyna reached across the table and grabbed his hand. "What can we do to help?"

Grover asked, "Has there been any news? Anything out of the ordinary here? Any attacks, anything?"

Reyna shook her head. "Not that we know of. The only thing…" She looked at Frank and they seemed to have a silent conversation.

Thalia leaned forward. "What is it? What happened?"

Frank sighed. "No one's Iris-Messaging is working here. There has been a drought and we were going to send a team out to investigate. Octavian said that he found a familiar face heading to Iris' Shop of Rainbow Organic Foods & Lifestyles the other day. He refused to tell us who it was, but he probably just forgot their name. Maybe it was Annabeth, or another individual that can help solve this mystery. We were going to send a team out to do it tomorrow."

Percy wasn't so sure, but it was worth a try. Annabeth and Cyrene were worth Percy trying anything. And maybe he would be able to solve this drought in Iris-messaging as an added bonus. Percy nodded. "Would it be possible for us to go today? I'm trying to get this solved as soon as possible."

Frank and Reyna looked at one another and nodded at Percy. "You all will be the team that goes. Leave whenever you want to. Let us know if you need anything."

Percy nodded and he stood up. "You all are awesome. Thank you for everything."

Reyna stood up. "Let me show you all to your guest quarters." She took them to a large hotel-style room with three queen sized beds, golden curtains, purple carpets, and white walls. "Feel free to drop your bags and luggage off here, and you may stay here as long as you like."

Grover thanked her, but Reyna's gaze lingered on Percy a beat too long. She looked him up and down and left the room. Thalia raised an eyebrow. "Percy, that girl has a thing for you. Like, a serious thing."

Percy was too busy checking out the beds to properly hear her. "Huh? These beds are so nice. I haven't slept in anything this nice in years!"

Thalia rolled her eyes. "Let's go, you all. Time for a date with a rainbow."


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or any related characters! Please, please, PLEASE review if you read; all feedback is greatly appreciated. You all are awesome, and thank you for reading my story!**

It was tough wrestling the Pegasi out of their premium package stay at the Horse Hotel. According to Blackjack, everyone should stay here for the rest of their lives because there was five-star Pegasus food, an on-call employee that shampoos, conditions, and dries the Pegasi's hair at request. They got their hooves cleaned and shined, they were free to graze whenever they want, and there were multiple Pegasi of all genders, so they all had fun together. Percy convinced them to help them by telling them that he was the one who got them the premium package in the first place.

They only had to fly a couple minutes with Percy as the demigod-edition GPS. Grover, at Percy's request, played a tune on his reed pipes that would make Thalia sleep on the way to the shop. Once he did so, Thalia was out like a light. Percy and Grover grinned at each other and gave each other an air-five. They boomed over to the shop and the Pegasi dove down towards the hills. They were going Mach-level speeds again and Percy noticed a golden glow around all of them, no doubt Hermes' blessing so they don't burn up. Grover was yelling and Percy was screaming as well, but both of them were doing so as if they were on a roller coaster. This time, it was Thalia's snores that were swept up by the wind. The Pegasi landed, and the crew noticed that there was a light rainfall. Percy and Grover dismounted and pulled Thalia off her ride. The rain sprinkled on Percy's skin, sharpening his senses and heightening his awareness.

He thought back to a few months ago, when Leo questioned Percy's credentials to wield as many powers and abilities as he does.

" _How come you get all these powers, and people like the children of Hermes or the children of Hephaestus (not speaking about anyone in particular) get very little powers. If anything, they just become gifted at related things. Like children of Hermes are good at stealing and children of Hephaestus are good at building and fixing. But we don't get like fire breath, telepathic communication with donkeys, control over metal, and control over volcanoes! Like, come on! How is that fair?"_

 _Percy hadn't thought it was fair. Annabeth was with Percy at the time and they were lounging on the Argo during one of the Seven's monthly get-togethers. Annabeth had laughed a little bit. "Besides the fact that he's a child of the Big Three? How the demigods' power works is that there is almost like a pool of a gods' genetic power. The more kids a god has, the more that the pool gets depleted, and the less of that pool water that each of the children get to work with. Hermes, for example, has countless children, so his pool water distribution is very low. His children are usually skilled at lying, cheating, and stealing. However, if Hermes only had one child in the past millennia and it was Connor Stoll, then Connor would most likely have super-speed, limited control of the winds, a hypnotic voice, a supernatural skill at thievery, proficiency in every single sport he played, along with the ability to grow wings on whatever he wanted. See what I mean?"_

 _Leo had thought about it for a second. "So if Poseidon had gotten around—sorry Percy—and Percy was one of maybe 50 demigods who lived at the same time as him, his only ability might be that he was a good swimmer? Or that he could breathe underwater?"_

 _Annabeth had nodded. "Exactly."_

The store was on top of a large hill, and Percy thought back to when Iris had thrown a muffin at a giant. He remembered that adventure with Frank and Hazel back in the day. For a rainbow goddess, she was pretty tough. It reminded him of Rachel being brave enough to throw a hairbrush at Kronos, Lord of Time. Something was off though; usually the name of the store, Rainbow Organic Foods & Lifestyles, was lit up with either a rainbow in the day or neon lights at night. However, now the store name seemed to be devoid of light, as if someone had unplugged the entire store. Grover played a _wake up_ tune that woke Thalia up quickly. She grinned at the two after she woke up completely. "I got over my fear of sleeping while flying! Not my fear of flying, but my fear of sleeping while in the air!"

Grover hopped up and down. "I can't believe I'm actually about to meet Iris. She is my favorite goddess!"

Thalia made a gagging face. "What about Artemis? I thought she was your favorite?"

Grover started to head towards the store. "They're all nature goddesses, Thalia. Don't discriminate."

Thalia groaned and Percy grinned for a second, then turned towards the store. He didn't feel like he needed to, but just in case, he uncapped Riptide. It felt balanced in his hand, but it almost felt foreign. Percy realized that he was probably terribly out of practice. Grover and Thalia followed suit, taking out their respective knives and spear. They reached the door and Percy counted down silently from three. At one, they pushed the door open. Percy braced himself for the lights, flute music, and the smell of flowers on fire. However, none of that happened. It was still dark, though Percy could see the usual wide aisles lined with bins of nuts and dried fruit, baskets of apples, and clothing racks with tie-dyed shirts and dresses. Thalia picked up one the dresses and made a face. "Looks like anything your friend Rachel would be interested in?"

Percy ignored the question and looked up. The ceiling was covered in wind chimes, but they stayed deathly still. No candles were on, and Percy caught whiff of a familiar scent. On cue, Grover asked, "Do you guys smell that?"

"Ichor," both Percy and Thalia said simultaneously. Ichor was the golden blood of all immortal beings such as gods and Titans. The grips on their weapons tightened as they continued to go through the store. Percy followed his nose to the produce aisle. Grover sighed and muttered how he loves kiwis, but Percy froze at the sight in the produce aisle. Thalia saw it and closed her eyes.

The dead body of Fleecy was lying on the ground.

Fleecy had the same yellow t-shirt, lace-up boots and cargo shorts as she did in she and Percy's first encounter, but it seemed to have been stained by ichor that had flowed from a wound in her neck. Fleecy was Iris' assistant, the one in charge of the Iris-Messaging once Iris got tired of doing so herself. Thalia and Percy bent down next to Fleecy's body as Grover reached for a shelf for support. He started to gag. Percy thought back to the last time he was in this shop; he was so sick that he could not function properly. Grover walked away and screamed once more. Percy jogged over and saw the dead body of Iris on the ground. There was a pool of dried ichor that stained the floorboards underneath the body. Iris had an identical wound in her neck and her lifeless eyes were staring off into space. One of the strangest parts of this image was that her hands were balled up; Percy knew that Iris and Fleecy were non-violent immortals; they only fought in self-defense. Percy glanced over at Thalia who was still at Fleecy's body. She stood and strode over to Percy and Grover.

"This wasn't an accident; it was an assassination. Two wounds to the neck, perfect sword intrusions. It's impossible to fight two immortals and get them both with the same move. This adversary must have been sneaky, or fast, or something."

Percy looked at the bodies again. He suddenly felt anger in his heart; Fleecy helped him out when he was suffering from his giant allergies, and Iris had ordered him some green tea with organic honey, wheat germ, and her medicinal powder number five. Frank had promised Percy that he would bring Iris-Messaging to the Roman camp in return so that business would double for Fleecy and Iris. These people had helped him and now they were dead. Probably because of him.

Percy shook his head. "How does an immortal even die?"

Thalia tilted her head. "I don't know. You would need a special weapon, I assume, something that can impose death upon anything, even overriding natural laws of godhood."

Grover took a shaky breath. "We need to bury them. This is not natural, them just lying in the store like his. Help me take them outside."

They picked up the bodies and took them behind the convenience store. The rain was coming down hard now, with droplets as big as pen caps. Since the store overlooked a hill, there was a large perimeter view of the whole grassland, which would've made for a beautiful shot if it wasn't storming outside. They placed the two side by side on the grass. Grover designated different tasks; Thalia was going to go and get as much fruit as she possibly can while Percy's job was to grab the best shirts, wind chimes, candles, and flowers he could find. Grover was going to find the best tune for a rainbow goddess' burial.

After about ten minutes, Percy and Thalia met back up with Grover and they distributed the fruit, shirts, wind chimes, candles, and flowers around and on the bodies. Grover started to play his reed pipes, a slow, sad song that matched the pouring rain. As he played, vines started to erupt from the ground and wrap around the bodies. Thalia looked up as the music played and made eye contact with Percy. He put his head down and listened to the music, wallowing in his own misery. It was his fault that this all happened.

Then, the tune changed. The melody turned from something very sad to something that was dramatic and grand. The transition resulted in a swarm of bugs coming up from the ground. Thalia and Percy flinched when they saw it, but they saw that those weren't just any insects. They were fireflies. The flies glowed and darkened on rhythm of the song, and they rested on each of the vines. The vines now covered the entire bodies, and were illuminated by the yellow-orange glow of the fireflies. As the tune reached its climax, the fireflies started to change colors! They glowed all different colors of the rainbow in succession, so much so that it seemed like a swarm of bugs sent by Iris herself. They pulsed with the rhythm. Percy thought about Cyrene and he promised himself and everyone he knew that he was going to find her.

Then the tune changed one last time, into something beautiful and peaceful. The fireflies crawled into the vine coffins, and the inside glowed with a faint yellow-orange. Leaves and grass flowed over the makeshift funeral, and the rain slowed to a drizzle. Percy realized that his feelings were changing with the music. He felt at peace now, and on a whim, he reached out towards the coffin. Thalia looked up to see what he was doing. There was a slight tugging in his gut, and the drizzle of rain began to collect around the bodies. Percy curved his hand and the drizzle exploded into a large column of mist around the bodies. The mist continued to swirl until a natural rainbow appeared. Thalia smiled through red eyes and Grover concluded his tune. The ground seemed to swallow the bodies.

Percy had another idea and pulled Thalia into the store. They grabbed one half of a marble sphere and put it face down on a stone table. The two of them lifted the table and put it over the two bodies. Thalia turned the half sphere over. Percy uncapped Riptide and stabbed a hole through the sphere and table. He gave Thalia a thumbs up and she took multiple crystals and tie-dye shirts out of her pockets. They spread out the crystals over the table around the half sphere, as well as put two folded T-shirts on either side of the half sphere. Percy stuck out his hand, and after a tugging of his gut, water burst from the ground, bursting through the hole of the table and the half sphere, making a makeshift fountain. That, plus the glowing rainbow crystals and the tie-dye T-shirts, made an altar personalized to Iris herself. A shrine. Frank had mentioned that Iris was upset that she did not have an identity or any shrines dedicated to her. Percy hoped that this humble shrine was enough to convince her that she was her own person, and she was a good one.

Grover sighed. "Without rain, there would be no rainbow. We all should strive to be the rainbow in life's storms."

When Percy admitted that he wanted to go see Nereus to Thalia and Grover, they didn't blink. They just asked him when he wanted to go, which Percy appreciated. The three of them had decided to go to Nereus first, and then report back to Camp Jupiter. The commute to San Francisco Bay was silent between the three adventurers. There wasn't much to say, and frankly, that was okay. Percy was glad that no one was making jokes or trying to force conversation; their presence was enough support for each other. The Pegasi even seemed to pick up on the mood and were tacit during the ride.

They reached the Bay and they dismounted, talking strategy as to how to catch Nereus. Once they agreed on the strategy, they split up. Percy walked along the Bay, using his heightened wolf senses to smell. Using these, he smelled Nereus immediately. This time, he was on the docks, shirtless and tanning his back. He didn't seem to see Percy as he approached, but once he got within ten feet of Nereus, the old sea deity scrambled up and dipped. Nereus sprinted for his life as Percy started to run after him. Percy continued to call Nereus' name, and when Nereus turned back for the third time, a flash of lightning caused Thalia to materialize in front of him. He turned around and ran right into Thalia as if she was a brick wall. He scrambled up, but Thalia had backed up and leveled her spear towards him. Nereus turned around and saw Grover approaching him with his large knives. He saw Percy approaching from another angle. They had made a triangle around him. Trapped, with no place to go, he sighed as Riptide got pushed under his chin.

Percy cocked his head. "You're captured. Let me ask my one question."

Nereus spit. "Go ahead, demigod. One question."

Percy blanched. Cyrene was his main focus, but if he could find Annabeth, he could get some really valuable help on this case. However, his mother would never forgive him if he found Annabeth, but did not find Cyrene.

"Where is Cy-"

Thalia interjected. "I need addresses, coordinates, cities, and states. No vagueness and as clear as possible. Include any information you think will help us track them better. Understood?"

Nereus nodded as much as he could with a sword at his neck. Thalia shocked him with her spear. "SWEAR ON THE STYX!"

He cried out loud, "I SWEAR! I SWEAR, DAMN!"

Thunder rumbled in the distance. She put her spear up. "Where are Cyrene Jackson and Annabeth Chase right now?"

Percy stared at Thalia. He could not believe that she had taken his question, but she had done something that he'd never contemplated; she asked one question that had more than one answer.

Nereus answered immediately. "They both are at the full-scale replica of the original Parthenon in Tennessee. It's located at 2500 West End Avenue, in Nashville, Tennessee. The zip code is 37203. The coordinates are 36 degrees North and 86 degrees West. They're scheduled to be there until tomorrow afternoon!"

Percy couldn't believe it. The Parthenon? The Parthenon was a temple on the Athenian acropolis of Greece, dedicated to Athena. Annabeth had told Percy by the Gateway Arch in St. Louis that she always wanted to see it one day. Though this was a replica, Percy has something concrete: he finally has a location, and a time frame. Percy nodded and capped Riptide. "Thank you, Nereus. For everything."

Nereus rubbed his neck. "Yeah, yeah. But kid?"

Percy looked at Nereus, who seemed to have a genuine expression of sadness on his face. "You don't want to pull this thread. This'll only result in hurt for you."

Percy couldn't believe Nereus cared for his well-being, especially since he was the kid of some 'upstart.' He looked down at his lethal pen. "Cyrene is my baby sister, and Annabeth is my girlfriend. They, along with my mother are my three most important women in my world right now. I will not give up on this mission to rescue them. Whoever took them-"

He clenched the pen in his hand. "-I will kill them with my bare hands."

Grover made a choking sound in his throat. Percy felt Thalia's eyes on him. Nereus sighed and looked out to the Bay. "Kid, betrayals happen all the time. Jason betrayed Medea in spectacular fashion. Leaving and denying his wife and the mother of his children for some king's daughter who was fifteen years younger? That's cold. But listen to me. When someone betrays you, what you sometimes have to do is to get vengeance in a spectacular fashion."

Thalia raised an eyebrow. "Like Medea killing their children?"

Nereus waved his hand. "Semantics. But do you understand what I'm saying, kid?"

Percy shook his head. "No…why are you telling about betrayals? Who betrayed me?"

Nereus stared at Percy and he noticed a bit of green in the old deity's eyes. "Only one question per capture," Nereus stated miserably. He walked towards the sea and jumped in, turning into a seal and swimming away.

Percy left the encounter with Nereus with a few answers, but more questions. Annabeth and Cyrene were both at the Parthenon replica in Tennessee. They were going to be there until the afternoon of the next day. The kidnappings, and probably the murder of Iris and Fleecy were all related. One person, or god, or Titan, or monster did all of this. But somebody betrayed him. Nereus would not go out of his way to lie to Percy about it; he has no horse in this race.

One thing was for sure to Percy, though, whoever betrayed him would pay.


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or any related characters! Please, please, PLEASE review if you read; all feedback is greatly appreciated. You all are awesome, and thank you for reading my story!**

Percy, Thalia, and Grover had gotten back to Camp Jupiter that day and informed Frank and Reyna of Iris and Fleecy's death. Percy chose to leave out the information about their trip to Nereus. Frank was silent as he listened, then got up and thanked them for their information. Reyna called an emergency gathering of all the Roman campers and announced the death of Iris. A ripple of emotions fluttered over the usually stoic Romans; fear, sadness, despair, confusion, etc. Reyna informed them that there would be a Roman funeral later in the day. When people started to disperse, Percy had grabbed Frank's shoulder.

Percy looked Frank in the eyes. "Both you and I know that Iris felt like she did not have what she deserved. So, when we found her...her body, we created a makeshift shrine for her that stands right behind her shop. I don't know if it's possible, but it would be amazing if you could get Camp Jupiter to make regular trips to Iris' shrine. She provided both camps with an amazing way to contact people that was safer than cell-phones, and frankly, we took her for granted. We would be able to show our appreciation if we paid respect to where she's buried."Frank nodded and Percy felt bad. He heard that Iris gave Frank some really great advice regarding his fire-stick, as well as his destiny. Frank used that advice to become his own man and really take control of his own destiny. He hoped that Frank would find follow through and encourage Camp Jupiter to pay their respects.

Percy met up with Thalia and Grover and they had gone to lunch together. Though Camp Jupiter provided some more Ceres-blessed food; Percy was not too hungry. He kept thinking about the wounds in Iris and Fleecy's necks and the ichor flowing down. Whoever had done this must have either power or resources, and Percy needed to be ready when the time came. He was not going to fail Cyrene. Percy left the Mess Hall early and changed into some battle clothes. He walked out to the Field of Mars where he was overlooking Berkeley across the River Tiber. He had on his black T-shirt, a breastplate, his battle pants and boots. He had to get back in fighting shape if he wanted to beat this new (or old?) enemy. He swung Riptide experimentally. He tried a one hand jab, a parry, an overhead strike, a beheading swipe, and a backhand attack. He swung it again, and again, and again, until Riptide was just a golden arc moving and twirling around his hands.

"Need a dance partner?" Percy smelled Thalia before he saw her. He turned to see her dressed in a dark gray shirt with black battle pants and boots. She had brought her spear with her, along with her bow and arrows.

Percy eyed Thalia warily. She always brought out his competitive side, and he did not have faith in himself that he wouldn't get too caught up and completely lift the River Tiber out of its place. However, he did probably look pretty stupid swinging Riptide against no one. He nodded and raised his sword.

Thalia laughed. "Nu-uh, Kelp Head. No armor. Take that breastplate off, you're going toe to toe with the Lieutenant of the Hunters of Artemis. You need to get back into fighting shape."

Percy shrugged off his breastplate. "Bring it, Wonder Woman."

Thalia grinned. "I like that nickname. Also, quick rules; you cannot use your powers, but I can use all of mine."

Percy's eyebrows rose so high up that he thought they were going to slide off his face. "Really? How is that fair?"

Thalia kept her smile. "No one said anything about fair, Aquaman. I have to get you back for that flip at the Big House somehow. And I've been in battle shape over the past months, you have not."

"That's because I thought I was retired," Percy grumbled. He hefted Riptide and pointed it towards Thalia. He felt clouds begin to form over them and he sensed the humidity level increase in the air around them. Thalia's body had a silver glow around it, and her eyes arced with electricity. Thalia opened her hands and her bow and arrows disappeared. She was left with her spear, and she leveled it so it was pointing to Percy's neck.

Percy charged and Thalia held her ground. He tried for an overhead tomahawk strike. It was one of his strongest moves, and usually caught his adversaries off guard by the sheer power behind it. He brought it down on Thalia, but she blocked it with her spear. Unfortunately for Percy, Thalia seemed unfazed by the strength of the attack, so Percy couldn't follow up with any kick of sword slam.

Thalia swept kicked his feet from under him and he landed painfully on the field. He forgot that the Romans made sure their ground was not soft, in order to incentivize people to not get knocked down. Percy sprang up and tried for a run through with Riptide. In a display of unnatural speed, Thalia turned her body so Riptide missed her. In that same second, she grabbed Riptide, ripped it from Percy's grasp, and hit him in the chin with the sword's hilt. Percy staggered, and fell to one knee. Thalia leapt and delivered a solid roundhouse kick to Percy's chest, sending him flying back ten feet.

Pain seared through Percy; his head was splitting, his chest was hurting, and his chin felt like it almost broke. The worst part about it? He could tell she was holding back. Thalia rushed to him and punched him in the face, electricity arcing through her fist and through Percy's face, adding to the impact. It knocked him back to the ground. He hadn't been hit that hard in a long time. Blood fell from his chin and face. Percy realized how much he had relied on his powers, environment, and luck to beat all the enemies he had faced over the years.

Thalia grabbed him by his head, and brought it down on her knee. Percy's head shot back and he landed on his back. Stars started to show in Percy's vision, and he was hearing a ringing sound. Thalia tossed his sword to him as he was on the ground. It clattered and bounced until it was next to his hand. _Bounced._ That's how hard the ground was.

Percy couldn't believe it. When he and Annabeth sparred, she usually let him get up. Thalia was ruthless. But Percy had done ruthless before. He had gotten literally torn apart by Lupa's pack as they taught him their ways. Percy realized that he was still in sparring mode when he needed to be in Wolf Mode.

Percy opened his eyes, and for a split second, they were the eyes of a feral animal. Thalia's eyes widened and she backed up a bit. Percy bared his teeth and got up. He felt adrenaline rush through his body and he scooped up his sword. He rushed to Thalia. She attacked him at full speed and turned into a blur. Percy felt like he was attacking multiple swordsmen. Percy's senses were in overdrive, smelling, seeing, and hearing Thalia's multiple light attacks. He managed to parry them all, but he did not even have time to finish a single thought. Finally, Thalia got impatient. She grasped her spear and tried for a power swing at Percy. On instinct, he leapt over the swipe extended his body in mid-air, as if he was diving into the ocean. Instead, he dove to tackle Thalia. They tumbled to the ground with Percy on top of her. Percy yelled and knocked the spear out of her hands and raised his fist. She headbutted him with electricity, stunning him, and flipped Percy off of her.

She opened her hands and her bow and arrow re-appeared. She notched one and shot it at his chest. Percy caught it, but an arrow had gone through his knee; Thalia had shot two arrows so quickly that he only saw one. Percy grunted. However, the pain was deafened as the adrenaline continued to surge. He scooped up Riptide and ran to Thalia with the arrow still in his knee. She notched another arrow and shot it at him, but time slowed down. Percy heard the whistle of the arrow in the air as it cut the humidity in the air. Percy's limbs seemed to move at super-speed and he cleaved the arrow in half. Time went to normal speed and Percy continued to charge. She opened her hands and her spear re-appeared. They went toe to toe with Riptide vs. her electric spear. Percy side-stepped a perfect form thrust from Thalia, grabbed her wrist, and twisted it the opposite way. Her wrist cracked and Percy flipped her. Thalia backflipped to get space from Percy, but he was advancing with Riptide. Riptide was a golden arc, but Thalia was a silver flash. She dodged almost all his strikes until he feinted a low blow. Thalia dodged it, but Percy followed with a high strike that swiped a wound on Thalia's face. In a fraction of a second, he turned Riptide to another angle and slammed her head with the flat of his sword. Thalia crumpled.

He tapped his wristwatch and his shield sprung to full glory. Thalia scrambled up and her eyes widened. Percy grabbed the side of the shield, swinging it like a bat. The shield knocked Thalia square in the face, and she staggered for a bit. Percy brought the shield down on the top of her head, and Thalia fell. He raised his shield and brought it down on her as if he was going to put the shield through her neck. In another display of unnatural speed, she caught the edge of the shield before it punctured her neck. Her face was flowing with ichor, but her expression was of pure anger. She kicked his knee, and it bent the wrong direction. Percy cried out in pain and collapsed to one side. Thalia wound up and Percy saw the white-blue electricity surging under her skin. She gave him a strong roundhouse punch, and Thalia felt the force of her punch, the Hunters, and a bolt of lightning hit him. Blood and teeth came out his mouth and he fell to the ground. Percy tried to get up, but his body was not responding.

Thalia regarded Percy with ichor coming down her chin, and her face. She was ready for Percy to get up, but when he didn't, she threw her weapons to the side and rushed to him. She placed a gentle hand on his back and a silvery glow went over his entire body. Bones re-aligned themselves, wounds healed, teeth re-grew, and his body felt the original strength he started with. The arrow that was in his knee had gotten pushed out cleanly by the healing skin. Thalia stepped back as Percy struggled up.

He looked at Thalia, who was looking back at him. Percy noticed she was in a defensive stance, ready to defend herself if Percy tried to argue. Her eyes were un-blinking, and Percy used his Lupa senses to smell anxiety coming off her. She was nervous that he would be mad. Though everything was still a bit sore, and Percy was a little peeved, Percy tried for a grin. "Looks like Wonder Woman won that round. But Aquaman shall win the second!"

She matched his smile. "Not in a million years. Let's go." Percy took out Riptide and shrunk his shield and leveled it towards Thalia. Her ichor and wounds had already healed completely. Percy and Thalia charged towards each other.

They fought each other until sunset. They were unnecessarily brutal at some points though; Thalia had struck Percy with a bolt of lightning from the sky, Percy ran Riptide through Thalia's leg, Thalia had broke Percy's arm, Percy had kicked her in the nose. It was an escape for the both of them, and a good outlet to vent their emotions and frustration. Percy had gotten back into the groove of going into Wolf Mode, but still being a controlled and calculating swordsman. His proficiency with Riptide had increased to the point where he was almost at his prime. Thalia reveled in the fight; it had been a long time since she had faced an adversary like that, especially since Percy had learned some new moves at Camp Jupiter.

They ended up concluding their sparring session when Thalia had caught Percy's shield throw. She charged the shield with so much electricity that it took on an electric blue color with tendrils coming off it. She threw it so hard that a small sonic boom erupted from the throw. Percy caught it, but once he caught it, he was shocked with all the electricity in the shield, and fell to the ground. Percy fell on his back and Thalia healed him. Percy shook his head; his head had a splitting migraine, and his body felt like he was not in it anymore. "Wow. I must have died about eight times in the past hours."

Thalia helped him up and smiled. "Yeah. You almost made me sweat."

Percy was drenched with sweat, while Thalia's gray shirt was completely dry. However, they both knew that if Thalia was still mortal, her body would have been crying out for help. They turned away from each other and realized that a large crowd had formed around them. Campers were watching with their mouths the the ground. Percy began to limp towards the field outside of the Fifth Cohort Barracks. The crowd parted to allow Percy room. When he almost fell, Thalia caught him and helped him walk to the funeral for Iris. The crowd went to follow them. Percy was very aware of Thalia's arm around his waist and he could feel heat rising to Thalia's face as Percy's arm was around her. Percy realized that he probably doesn't smell the best, but decided against apologizing for it.

They arrived at the field and saw that a lot of campers were already there. Each one was putting a small wooden boat into the Little Tiber. Each wooden boat had a note that was handwritten by the camper who owned the boat. Once it was pushed off into the Tiber, the camper would say a quick prayer and the wooden boat and letter would burst into rainbow flames, giving off a quick scent of Iris' shop. As the sun set and dusk fell over Camp Jupiter, the hundreds of wooden boats and rainbow flames made for a pretty cool vision. Percy hoped that Iris saw what a difference she made in these people's lives. He made a mental note to have Camp Half-Blood pay their respects as well.

Percy unhooked from Thalia and sat on the ground. His entire body was sore, but he felt at peace. Iris' shop smells wafted through the air. He looked up at Thalia and she was staring at all the wooden boats and the rainbow flames flowing down the river. As the night got darker, the flames grew brighter and the light reflected a rainbow-colored luminescence off Thalia's face. Even with that color on her face, her blue eyes popped.

Percy looked past Thalia and saw Grover put a wooden boat in the River. He turned to Percy and rasied his arm very high in greeting. Percy saluted, and let his arm fall down slowly. Grover was talking to other satyrs, no doubt trying to convince them that they are better than this. Percy thought back to what Grover said about being the rainbow in life's storms. Thalia has been his rainbow a few times in this storm. She had cried with him, did detective work with him, sparred with him, then went to a rainbow-flamed funeral and still managed to be pretty dam cool. And he couldn't thank her enough.

She looked down and saw him smiling at her. She raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Nothing. Just glad to have you with me," Percy half-lied.

Thalia held in a smile and looked away.


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or any related characters! Please, please, PLEASE review if you read; all feedback is greatly appreciated. You all are awesome, and thank you for reading my story!**

Percy and Thalia met up with Grover and headed back to their rooms. The night sky was littered with stars, and it reminded Percy of Camp Half-Blood in its beauty. He prayed to whatever gods were listening that Cyrene and Annabeth were safe, and prayed that Grover and Thalia were okay. They got back to the beautiful hotel-style room, but once they opened the door, they froze. Sitting in the middle of the room was an eight-year old girl. She was standing next to the fireplace, warming her hands. Percy wasn't even sure they had a fireplace in the first place. Simultaneously, Percy, Thalia, and Grover backed up out of the room, checked the room number, then walked back in. The girl was still there, as if this was her home. The girl had caramel-colored skin and big, curly hair. Percy uncapped Riptide, Thalia took out her arrow, and Grover took out his knives immediately. The girl turned to regard them and her glowing red eyes warmed Percy to the core. He capped Riptide and bowed to the girl.

"Hestia."

Thalia and Grover looked at each other and bowed as well. Hestia smiled at them. "Please, sit, make yourself comfortable in your temporary home."

The three of them put their bags down and sat in their respective beds. Percy noticed the lights in the room were off, but they were replaced with red flames that gave the room a cozier feel. Candles that weren't there before were sprinkled on the desks and on the windowsills, giving off different scents of fall. There were small brown plates on the dresser of each bed, and each plate had a perfectly cooked and proportioned S'more on it. Percy felt relaxed almost immediately, and he could practically see the tension flow from Thalia and Grover's body as they relaxed on their beds and dug in to their treats. Hestia waited patiently as they all got comfortable and started eating, then she trained her eyes on Percy.

"How has your mission been so far?" Hestia seemed like one of those people who never has a question she doesn't know the answer to, but asks it just so she can listen to someone else answer it.

Percy nodded. "Pretty good. We have an address, we have coordinates as to where Cyrene and Annabeth are. The goddess Iris and her assistant Fleecy were found dead in their shop, though, so that was a low point."

Grover bleated mournfully. The flames in place of the lights roared for a split second, then went back to their controlled height. Hestia looked back at the flames. "We heard about Iris. But it is scaring the gods because even we do not know who took Iris and Fleecy's life. We are usually all-seeing, but this adversary was intelligent. We believe that this is the same person who kidnapped Annabeth and Cyrene, since both individuals are hidden from us."

Percy thought for a second. "How is Cyrene or Annabeth hidden from you though? Wasn't only the attacker hidden from you? I thought people like Apollo, Hermes, and Zeus are all-knowing and all-seeing."

Thalia shook her head. "Though they see a lot that we don't, the gods can only see so much. That's why the Oracle exists; to give prophecies that is beyond the gods' knowledge. And Nereus is someone who has knowledge that is even hidden from the Oracle."

Hestia nodded glumly. She turned her hand and the fire erupted from the fireplace. Grover flinched, but Percy was used to this trick before. However, Hestia curved her hand and small people started to form from the fire until there were about a hundred of them. She took a breath. "Usually, this is the world. A lot of people. To a god, the demigods-"

She curved her hand some more and about five of the hundred began to glow a fiery white. "-stand out from the rest. They have an aura, even a smell, that attracts those of this world. An immortal, however-"

She flicked her fingers and two of the fire people turned green. "-is very easy to spot. Iris and Fleecy were like this. However, out of nowhere-"

She snapped her fingers and the two green fire people disappeared. "-they died. They were wiped from the face of the earth. We tried to find whoever did it, but it's like their aura is invisible. We've watched over Annabeth for so long that her aura became familiar to us, but it's like her demigod aura has disappeared."

Hestia flicked her finger and every one of the fire people were the same red-orange color. "So, as a result, we have had trouble finding both Annabeth and Cyrene, since their auras have been hidden from us. As a result, we have to guess, and meticulously go from place to place to find them. And whoever is doing this is intelligent. They're outsmarting us, moving around from place to place so we can't get close. They're knowledgeable about how the gods see mortals and immortals, and they're merciless. Ares will probably want them working for us, once they're caught."

Thalia raised an eyebrow. "Once? Don't you mean _if_ they're caught."

Hestia's eyes had flames in them. "No, I mean _when_. No individual has wronged Olympus and has escaped the wrath of Olympus." Percy may have been imagining it, but he swore that he saw someone writhing and being burned alive in the flames. It made his blood go cold as he looked at the fire.

Grover made a strangled sound in his throat; he probably saw the same thing Percy did. Percy gulped. "We will find whoever did this, Lady Hestia. I will save my sister and Annabeth."

Hestia nodded. "I have faith in you all; you all are capable heroes and are favored by Olympus. But I came down to warn you though, this being seems to have power. If they were able to reap Iris and Fleecy's soul, you all are in more danger than you believe. If you still plan on continuing this mission, time will be of the essence. I bring you three gifts from Hades himself."

Hestia opened her palm and three obsidian-black and silver rings swirled around. They had a spherical jewel on them that was also black. Hestia pushed her hand towards us and one ring flowed to each of us. "Hades has provided you all your own personal Shadow Rings. These rings will allow you to instantly shadow travel wherever you need to go, as long as your destination has shadows to employ. Just clench your fist and imagine where you want to go."

Percy felt uneasy taking a gift from Hades, but he trusted Hestia with his life. Plus, this allowed them to leave the Pegasi at Hazel's Horse Hotel as things started to get heated. Percy nodded and put the ring on. It was deathly cold and a shiver went through his body, but it fit perfectly. Grover and Thalia followed suit. Hestia nodded. "Save your sister and your comrade, Perseus. And don't forget your fatal flaw. Personal loyalty can be as deadly as an axe if utilized the wrong way."

Percy stared into space as Hestia erupted into flames. The flames around the room turned back to their original lightbulbs, and the candles disappeared with them. The fireplace disappeared into a television, confirming Percy's original suspicions. The room dropped a few degrees, but Percy wasn't sure if it was because the fire disappeared or because of the rings. Grover and Thalia looked at Percy who looked down at the ring. Grover asked, "Did Hestia seem a bit off to you? It seemed like she was almost angry."

Percy nodded. "This whole thing has made her uneasy. And she was calm during the Battle of Manhattan. She didn't even consider giving up Hope when I had given her Prometheus' gift."

Thalia nodded. "So if this is making her feel nervous, it's making me nervous as well. However, these can now leave the Pegasi here so we can keep them out of harm's way. Everyone agree?" Grover nodded and Percy fought the urge to smile; he was just thinking that a few minutes ago.

Percy nodded and swung out of bed. "Good. I'll be right back, you all."

He jogged down the hall, weaving between campers in and out. He passed the Praetorian Gate and reached the Baths. He remembered that Hazel mentioned that one has not lived unless they had a Roman bath. Percy reached the steam room and grabbed some of the spare towels. The steam room was spraying mist everywhere as Percy dropped his dirty clothes in the Roman wash-tub (a hot-tub that uses magic to clean and dry clothes, even in water) and traded them for a towel. He sprinted through the steam room and reached his favorite section of the Roman baths; the crystalline pools.

The crystalline pools were underground, but they looked like they were in a cave with several large holes made to hold water. Each of the holes went from three feet to ten feet deep, so people could get the most extensive Roman experience bathing in them. The water was almost like a hot spring, so steam was emanating off each pool. The water temperature was a comfortable warm-hot, but not too scalding. The water would pull all the dirt, blood, sweat, and other grimy details off an individual's body and would pull it down into a small hole at the bottom of the hole. Once anybody came into contact with the water, the area that they were touching would glow a golden yellow. It smelled like sweet fragrances mixed with a bit of chlorine. Around each of the holes were multi-colored crystals that shined all different colors. It gave the place an otherworldly feel. Percy found himself marveling again at the pools. He focused his hearing and heard that it was refreshingly empty. He tore off his towel and jumped into one of the baths.

He submerged completely. Underwater was arguably prettier than above water; the crystals glowed strong colors like red, green, blue, and orange. Light and golden magic swirled through the water. The dirt and grime on Percy's body was pulled off and down into a golden whirpool-like funnel at the bottom of the hole. Percy's injuries and soreness disappeared, and his senses whirred and were dialed to twenty. He smiled and stretched his body in the water. He swam to the surface and when his head came up, he saw a girl stripping next to the water with her back to him. In the split second that he hesitated, Percy made a few observations; her body was perfectly shaped and muscled, and her long black hair was wet and flowed down to the middle of her back. She had curves that would've made Aphrodite jealous enough to turn her into a koala or something. Her posture was confident and tough, like that of a true Roman. When Percy realized what he was doing, a scream escaped from his throat and he covered his eyes. The girl turned around just as Percy's hands covered his eyes.

Percy thought, _Oh. My. Gods. Please don't recognize me, please don't recognize me._

He heard her scream. He smelled the familiar scent of an arrow, and Percy knew that she had taken out a bow and a set of arrows. Percy dove down into the pool, narrowly avoiding the stream of arrows. Once they pierced the water though, they lost their momentum about three feet down, and began to float. Percy took a risk and burst out the water with his hands up.

He had his eyes closed as shut as he could and prayed that he wouldn't get shot in the neck. He opened his eyes slowly and saw Thalia Grace standing there. She had managed to cover herself with a towel and shoot arrows at the same time. She still had her bow and arrow notched towards Percy's face. Her arms relaxed only slightly when she recognized Percy. Her blue eyes were wide and her mouth was shaped in a perfect _o_. Her expression shifted into fury. "PERCY JACKSON! WHAT ARE YOU-"

The string of curse words she put together was so creative that Percy was sure that it was another language. Percy was cursing to himself silently, not believing that he didn't hear her come in. Percy kept his hands up. "I'm sorry! I was in here, under the water, and I came up, and you were…you were just…"

"WHY would you…gods, this is so embarrassing…Percy, how could you be so-" Thalia sighed and lowered the bow and arrow, opening her hand and having it disappear in thin air. "So this is where you went to?"

Percy swam over to the edge of the ten feet area. "Yeah, I came here to clear my head."

She looked at him as if he was a child who had run out into the street and almost got hit. "You understand that Artemis turned the last guy to see her naked into a girl, right? How does Percia sound as a name?"

Percy cracked a smile. "Can you even do that?"

Thalia maintained steely eye contact. Anger crackled in her eyes. "Leave."

Percy thought she was joking for a second until he saw her face. She turned and let Percy get out of the bath and wrap his towel around. He was so embarrassed that he dropped the towel three successive times trying to put it on. He finally got it on the fourth try and apologized to Thalia as he walked out of the crystalline pools and into the steam room. The steam room did nothing to help the embarrassment that he was feeling.

When the door to the crystalline pools closed behind him, he put his head on the adjacent walls and exhaled. He heard sobbing from the pools and heard a muffled Thalia mutter, "Why does this always happen to me? Damn you, Aphrodite. Damn you."

Percy felt miserable. He had embarrassed her and frankly, he probably has crossed boundaries more than once with her. Annabeth always pushed him to think about the worst case scenario. Percy wouldn't be surprised it Artemis teleported to the pools and rescinded Thalia's identity as her personal Lieutenant. That would ruin her life and take away her primary identity. Feeling dejected, he walked to his room and crashed on his bed. At least he was clean. Within a few seconds, he knocked out and had the worst dream he has ever had.

 _They were in the Parthenon replica in Nashville. Percy knew this because inside was a huge, golden statue of Athena. It made the 150 foot long room glow with a red-golden light. The statue had striking gray eyes, a jewel in the front of her chest, and she was holding a being with wings in her right hand. In her left, she was holding a shield-looking object that had a snake behind it. A large golden spear that was almost the statue's height sprouted from the ground by the statue's left foot. It was the replica of the Athena Parthenos, something Annabeth had set out on a personal quest to get. At the foot of the statue, Percy saw someone lying on the ground, tied up. It was Nico Di Angelo. His hair had grown to be almost shaggy, but he looked terrible. The rings that Hestia gave Percy, Thalia, and Grover made more sense to him in that moment._

 _Nico looked pale (paler than usual), exhausted, and wounded. His breathing was staggered and he struggled to sit up. He looked straight ahead at Percy as if he saw him in the dream. However, he tore his gaze from Percy and looked past him, nodding ever so slightly. Once he nodded, the angle of the dream changed and Percy was seeing what Nico was seeing; Cyrene Jackson, wrapped in a light blue swaddle, and she was crying. Percy's heart leapt out towards his baby sister and wished he could hold her and tell her everything's going to be okay. A figure began to approach from the shadows. Percy's dream insides twisted. This was the being that he needed to find. The being scooped up Cyrene and she stopped crying. The angle of the dream went up like a camera, and Percy saw blonde hair. Gray eyes. A face contorted with concern. It was Annabeth Chase. Percy's girlfriend. And she was holding Cyrene._

 _She was wearing a plain brown shirt with black battle pants and black boots. Her blonde hair fell over her shoulder. She looked just as beautiful as she usually does, but Percy wasn't sure what to think of her. Her knife was tucked in on her side, and she looked unscathed. Percy at first wanted to believe that Annabeth had somehow escaped her captor and had freed Cyrene. However, Annabeth put Cyrene down and took out a four foot long Stygian Iron sword; Nico's sword. She put on gloves, then took out a bag with frosty blue crystals. She picked out the crystals one at a time and put them on the black sword. Every time the crystals touched the black material, it seemed to freeze the Stygian iron, frost spreading out in tendrils for a few inches. She did this until the entire edge perimeter of the sword was covered in the weird frost, and she held it up._

 _Nico breathed. "Annabeth, what is that? Why are you doing this? What about Percy?"_

 _Annabeth looked pained and turned her attention to the sword. "This sword is Stygian iron, and the crystals are Stygian ice. You put them together, and you create a combination that has not existed since the old times. And you know that I can't tell you the answers to those questions."_

 _Nico shook his head, then winced as if every effort to speak hurt. "Where did you even get Stygian ice?"_

 _Annabeth turned towards him. Cyrene's eyes trailed the sword as it passed over her. "Percy had a Stygian ice whistle used to call his hellhound. Neither of us knew what it was at the time, but when Percy blew it some years ago, it shattered into many pieces. I spent a good amount of time collecting the pieces at her request."_

" _Her? Is it Gaea? Hecate?" Nico leaned forward, trying to press an answer out of her. Percy knew better; Annabeth could not be coaxed into saying something she didn't want to._

 _She shook her head, and sheathed the dangerous sword. "I've said too much already. You know your part in all this, just focus on that."_

 _It was Nico's turn to shake his head furiously. "No. You're a good person. Yet, you betrayed Percy. You betrayed all of us!"_

 _Annabeth turned away and picked up Cyrene. A tear flowed down Annabeth's cheek and fell on Cyrene's swaddle. Cyrene gave her a small smile and then yawned. Annabeth tried for a small, teary smile herself, but it morphed into a face of despair, like Briares' many faces._

" _I did betray him. And all of you. And one day, I will freeze in the River Cocytus for it. But this is something beyond your understanding. I almost hope Percy stops me. I hope he kills me. He deserves much better than me. If anyone can understand why I'm doing this, it's him. But I have a mission to carry out, and I will complete it. No matter what it takes."_


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or any related characters! Please, please, PLEASE review if you read; all feedback is greatly appreciated. You all are awesome, and thank you for reading my story!**

Percy sat up with a guttural scream. Thalia leapt up in her bed with her bow and arrow ready. Grover continued to snore. Percy gathered himself and looked around the room. The lamps were off, the door was closed and bolted, the regular Camp Jupiter nightlights were on. Percy looked behind him and saw an oval shaped section of dampness, which he recognized as sweat stains. Percy's white T-shirt was borderline see-through due to the sweat, and he felt sticky all around. Being that he was the Son of Poseidon and has power over saltwater, Percy shakily put out his hand and his shirt and bed immediately dried up the sweat (which Annabeth had taught him was mostly salt water). He took deep breaths and stared at the black television, which seemed to be staring right at him.

In a flash, Thalia was at his bed, looking at him. She was in a black athletic Underarmour shirt with gray jogger sweatpants. Her hair was un-brushed as if she just rolled out of bed, which Percy saw was exactly the case. "Percy, what's wrong? What happened?"

Her voice had a sense of urgency to it. Percy looked at Thalia. Her eyes were not crackling anymore, but were filled with concern. All awkwardness and anger from the incident in the crystalline pools seemed to have disintegrated, but Percy knew it would come back in a split second after he told her about the dream. Percy took a shaky sigh and focused his eyes on the black television. He recounted the entire dream for Thalia, having to take a moment when Annabeth entered the picture before he continued. She listened intently, though the crackling in her eyes appeared again when he had mentioned Annabeth's part in the dream. Once Percy was done, she put a hand on his knee and bore into his eyes as if to say, _I got you_. She held out her finger and a small arc of lightning flowed from it and hit Grover in the bottom. The satyr cried out, grasped his behind and sat up in his bed. "What happened? What'd I miss? It wasn't me, Juniper!"

Thalia pointed at me. "He had a dream."

Grover woke up instantly and sat forward on his bed. "What happened?"

Percy, still staring at the television as if in a trance, recounted the whole thing once more as if he was a robot. When Percy finished, Grover stood up. "That's not true!"

Thalia stood up in response. "You know it's true? Why would Percy lie about this? Annabeth betrayed him!"

Grover shook his head. "No. Maybe she was just captured, and in great pain. And maybe she wants Percy to put her out of her misery."

Thalia scoffed. "Listen to what you're saying. You're saying that Nico is at the foot of the Parthenos replica, suffering and wounded. Annabeth sees this and ignores him? She creates a new sword and is vague towards Nico about what her business is. She revealed that she had went behind Percy's back to get those ice shards and she _admitted_ to betraying him. But you're saying that she's innocent."

Grover balled his fists. "You're not listening. Annabeth would not do that to Percy or any of us. There's something very wrong here. Maybe it's an eidolon. Percy told me how those things can take over people."

"That was not an eidolon. That was Annabeth, and it was all her doing."

"Then who's the 'her' that Annabeth had mentioned? 'At her request'? Sounds like Annabeth is trapped to me!"

Thalia hesitated for a second. "Does it matter? We need to stop Annabeth right now before she does something that neither she nor we can take back."

Grover was practically jumping up and down. "No, no! You see, Annabeth is really smart. She doesn't just drop hints like that for no reason-"

Thalia stepped towards Grover. "Oh, so she knew Percy was there in a dream? No demigod is able to detect when someone is watching them through a dream. That's something only monsters or deities can do."

Grover saw her step and rose her two more steps. "Why are you so passionate about proving that Annabeth's a traitor? She used to be part of your family and one of your best friends."

Thalia walked to Grover until she was looking down on him. "Goat Boy, you need to get this through your skull. Years as a Hunter teaches you that you can't count on people. Animals are more loyal than humans are. Animals are aggressive when they need to be, otherwise peaceful. Humans, in contrast, their words communicate one thing, their actions say another. I've seen so many betrayals, that I'm not even surprised anymore when it happens. Isn't that sad? Luke, Silena, Ethan, all those demigods who switched sides in the Battle of Manhattan, Octavian, the minor gods, and now Annabeth. The betrayals don't stop, Grover. And if we don't go and stop her now, her intelligence and resourcefulness will make her into an even more formidable adversary than she already is."

Grover didn't back down. Instead he shook his head. "You're wrong about her. Annabeth is one of the best people I know. We can go, but this is not a situation where we instantly assume Annabeth's evil and we shadow travel over there and put a sword through her chest. She's not going to crumble into dust like the other monsters; she's going to bleed and die. Are you prepared to do that? To put your spear straight through one of your best friends? Huh? Percy? Are you prepared to take Annabeth's life if need be?"

Percy continued staring at the television. Thalia turned to look at him, with sadness in her eyes. She turned back to Grover and remained silent, but her face had changed into almost a snarl.

Grover continued. "I don't care how many betrayals you've seen, you must have some faith in people because you still got Percy's back. You still got your Hunters. You follow Artemis with unwavering loyalty. And you trust Jason. Even if someone does bad things, that doesn't mean they're always bad people. We need to get to the bottom of this. I hear what you're saying, and I respect it. But whichever point of view we hold, we both do agree that our first move is to get over there as soon as possible, right?"

Thalia's face softened. She nodded. They both turned to Percy, whose sudden interest in the black television was becoming worrisome. Thalia sat in front of Percy, but his eyes were still glazed over. "Percy? Percy!"

Percy focused on her eyes in front of him. She looked like she was trying to hold in a lot of emotions, but she was keeping it together for him and Grover. He recognized that expression on Annabeth. "You okay? What's up?"

Percy had been replaying in his head Annabeth kissing him in the Labyrinth. Annabeth had told Nico that she had gathered the ice shards from the shattered Stygian ice whistle. That was years ago, when Percy had that huge adventure in the Labyrinth. She has been pulling strings and working behind the scenes since then, a fact that made him sick to his stomach. His girlfriend, the woman he was looking forward to marrying one day and building something…permanent. Now, in one act, she managed to steal his chance to be safe in New Rome, put his family in mortal danger, and crush his soul as well. Percy felt like his heart had been ripped out and put in a blender. He remembered Aphrodite waving her hand in dismissal when Percy had asked where Annabeth was. She had told him, " _I leave the details to you. But it's been ages since we've had a good tragic love story._ "

He kept his eyes on Thalia. "I just can't believe Annabeth would…why would she…my baby sister…"

Grover put his hand on Percy's shoulder, and Thalia frowned. "I know, Percy. I know."

"Do you?" He tilted his head. He heard Cyrene's cries in his head again, and despite feeling despair, anger pumped from his heart. He felt like someone had injected some of the River Styx liquid into his veins. Vengeance was all he could think about. He needed to save his baby sister. He didn't care who took her, he needed to get her back. He felt like tearing the room apart. Percy stood and he must have had his Wolf stare on, because Grover stepped back a bit.

"This whole charade has been going on for YEARS! I loved her! I love…I love her. And she used that against me. I don't even know how much of my life has been engineered by…by her! I…my mother trusted her. Trusted her with my life. She killed Iris and Fleecy. She took my baby sister. She…endangered my family…"

Percy fell to his knees and gripped his pen so hard his knuckles turned white. He whispered so softly that he didn't think anybody heard him, "She could've killed my family in their sleep that first night if she wanted to."

He remembered the goddess of love saying, " _Oh, I have some nasty surprises in store. Anguish. Indecision. Oh, you wait."_

Percy stood. "Aphrodite…she warned me about this. She hinted at it before…were the gods in on this whole thing? Is this some kind of sick joke? Am I just entertainment?!"

Thalia put out her hands cautiously. "Now, Percy…Hestia came to us asking us to save your sister and Annabeth. Let's focus on that at the moment. The gods aren't after you. Let's come up with a plan first before we rush into things."

Percy whipped towards Thalia while simultaneously uncapping his pen. Grover and Thalia backed up immediately as the golden blade extended to life. "I have a plan. It's just a lot simpler than you thought. We need to get my baby sister back. And Grover, Rachel taught me something very important; humility. Sometimes, I'm not always the hero. Sometimes I need to yield and go into situations with a clear head, and have faith in the gods that things will work out."

Grover kept his eyes on Riptide. "Yeah, that's some good advice."

Percy capped Riptide and it shrank to a pen, accompanied with an audible sigh from his friends. He stared at the television one more; his blood had turned to ice. "My mother thought so."

Grover tried for a nervous smile while Thalia kept her eyes on Percy's hands. Percy shook his head slightly and he heard his voice come out as deep and threatening. "I am not my mother."

Thalia raised her hands as if she was calming a wild animal. "Percy…we will get Cyrene back and we will beat Annabeth."

He tightened his grip on his pen. Maybe a few years ago, Percy would've been crying or so distraught that he couldn't act. Now, he felt like he was on Lupa's territory again, standing over one of the wolves he had killed. He felt like a predator, feral and strong. There was no room for sentiment in the wild. "Oh, don't worry about that, Grace. Annabeth took Cyrene. When she shows her face, I'll kill her myself."


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or any related characters! Please, please, PLEASE review if you read; all feedback is greatly appreciated. You all are awesome, and thank you for reading my story!**

Percy was the only one who had shadow traveled before, and he didn't feel like leading a tutorial at that moment. He walked over to the corner of the room where some shadows were. He stood in it and held out his hands. Thalia and Grover hesitated for a second, then rushed over. Percy's senses told him it was about 2:00 in the morning. He hoped to catch Annabeth by surprise, save Cyrene, save Nico, and finish this.

Thalia grasped Percy's hand while Grover grabbed his shoulder. Thalia's hand was sweating. Percy held out his left hand and the ring seemed to sparkle. Thalia and Grover did the same with their free hand. Percy clenched a fist and they followed suit. Percy thought, _2500 West End Avenue, Nashville, Tennessee, 37203. 36 degrees North, 86 degrees West._

They melted into the shadows. Percy felt the usual shivers, weird noises, and the feeling of going so fast that his face seemed to be peeling off. However, he felt Thalia's hand the whole time. They came to a stop, and they stepped out of the shadows in the same 150-foot room he saw in his dream. Grover and Thalia shivered their ways out the shadows. Grover threw up behind the Athena Parthenos. Percy uncapped Riptide and got ready to cut Nico's bonds on the other side of the statue. They crept out to the other side and saw that Nico was gone from the base of the statue.

The three of them turned towards the direction that the Athena Parthenos replica was facing, and they had seen that there was a small door. Percy beckoned towards the door, and he ran towards it with his friends behind him. He felt adrenaline, anger, sadness, despair, and even fear as he ran towards the door. He needed to find Cyrene as soon as possible. He pushed open the door and saw them. Annabeth had Cyrene in a sleep sack that was attached to her back, and his baby sister was comfortably sleeping. Annabeth was wearing the same outfit as she was in the dream, and she was pulling Nico by his restraints. She, Nico, and Cyrene all had a band around their wrist that glowed with orange/yellow hieroglyphs.

Following them was a large panther the size of a car. Its black fur was so sleek that it seemed to be moving along the body as the panther moved. The strangest part about it; it had fire coming out of its eyes and ears. The fire seemed to be coming from an endless source, and evaporated as the fire got a foot into the air. Percy wasn't sure what the creature was, but he lost all thoughts when Annabeth turned and saw them. Time seemed to stop as they regarded one another. Her gray eyes fixed on him and Percy realized that he was wrong. All of his anger at the hotel and his confidence in him killing Annabeth had no footing. He could never kill her. That was Annabeth; she had saved his life countless times and had showed him that a troublemaker like him could have happiness.

Thalia and Grover stepped up on either side of him. "Who's taking who?"

Percy looked at Thalia, and she nodded to Percy. She was tacitly allowing him to take Annabeth while they took the fire panther. Percy shook his head, and Thalia seemed to understand immediately. It was almost like she had expected it. She opened her hands and she changed into her Hunter outfit. She materialized her spear and charged Annabeth with a scream. Grover ran towards Nico. Percy raised Riptide and attacked the panther.

Annabeth immediately took Cyrene off her back and placed her on the ground. Annabeth tapped on Cyrene's bracelet thing and it released a flickering energy shield. Annabeth drew her new Stygian ice-iron hybrid sword and ran towards the Parthenon replica. She slid in between two of the columns, away from Cyrene. It was a brave move to bring the battle away from his sister, but Percy shook the positive thought away. Annabeth had betrayed them. However…the markings on that wristband looked familiar, but he didn't have time to think as the panther attacked him.

The panther was deathly fast, a blur of black and fire. It attacked Percy head on. It reminded Percy of Thalia coming at him, so he sidestepped and knocked it away with the flat of his sword. The panther turned its head in annoyance, then turned its fiery eyes on Percy. It started to sit back on its hind legs. Percy saw the same behavior with the alley cats in his neighborhood and with the Nemean Lion. It was getting ready to pounce. Percy dove out of the way when it did, and opened his shield. He threw it at the panther, and it hit the big cat right in its nose. The panther roared and attacked Percy once more. Percy swung Riptide, but the panther dissolved into black mist-smoke once Riptide made contact. Percy was caught off guard, and smelled the fire behind him now. He turned and met a wall of black fur and fire. It knocked him to the ground and the panther was pinning him down.

Percy stared in its fiery eyes, and thought, _Okay…a teleporting panther. That's new._

Percy saw Annabeth and Thalia fighting about seventy-five feet behind the panther. They were moving quickly from pillar to pillar, Annabeth backflipping and dodging Thalia's electric strikes. They ended up killing the pillars instead. Thalia had tried for a heavy swipe and Annabeth jumped out the way. She waited until Thalia's follow through and punched her in the jaw. Thalia was stalled for a second and Annabeth delivered multiple body shots to Thalia's core. Thalia caught the last blow, and crushed Annabeth's hand a bit. She flipped Annabeth into one of the pillars and tried for a perfect form thrust that would've gone straight through Annabeth's neck. Annabeth side-stepped and the thrust ended up taking out another one of the pillars. Percy saw what she was doing; she was trying to get Thalia to take out all the pillars and bring the Parthenon replica down on Thalia.

Percy cried out to Thalia to watch out, but the panther swiped Percy's face, leaving a scar that burned orange/yellow, then cooled into his regular blood. Percy grimaced and the panther rose its paw again. However, he heard a battle cry and Grover was on top of the panther, yelling and stabbing it multiple times with his knives. The panther writhed and threw Grover off him with its hind legs. The scratch on his face was burning, but Percy raised Riptide. The panther turned to Percy and snarled. Percy threw Riptide and it embedded itself in the panther's forehead. It roared and Percy scooped up his shield. He attacked the panther with his shield, hitting it on its body. The beast turned its head to Percy. Grover slid on the other side of the beast and used his goat legs to kick the creature's exposed neck. Percy tossed his shield over the beast to Grover, who attacked the creature on his side of the beast. The panther turned towards Grover, who tossed the shield to Percy as he was pulling out Riptide. He capped it quickly and swung the shield as hard as he could. He hit the panther again. The panther roared and slammed its paw on the ground, erupting in a fiery burst of energy that blew both Percy and Grover back.

Percy hit the ground hard and the panther was on top of him in a flash. Percy uncapped raised Riptide, but the cat knocked it away. It sunk its teeth into Percy's neck, and he felt the familiar burning feeling and subsequent pain/blood. Percy kicked the beast off and covered his throat to stop the blood. His wound was burning, hurting, and bleeding simultaneously. He saw the Parthenon collapse and saw Annabeth dash away from the ruins. Percy yelled "THALIA!" His senses started to deafen. He put his hand on the ground and he felt all the vibrations in the ground. He heard odd things; he heard Grover's staggered breathing, he heard Cyrene's exhalations, he heard Annabeth's footsteps. He heard Lupa call him weak and he looked towards Cyrene. The pain turned into anger, and he saw red. He felt like a wolf and adrenaline went through his body. He attacked the beast with bare hands and the two of them leapt towards each other.

The panther extended its claws, which Percy saw caught on fire as well. They met in the air and Percy reached for its throat. He took hold and employed the vice grip he utilized on Nereus years ago. The panther and Percy fell to the ground as Percy strangled the beast. It roared and thrashed, flinging Percy off it. It tried for a swipe, but Percy dodged it. He punched the beast with all of his force, and the panther staggered. Percy punched it again, then grabbed its head and brought it down on his knee. The fire pierced Percy's leg as he did that, but the panther's head flying back and falling to the ground was worth it. The panther spit out teeth and Percy held out his hand. In the Parthenon replica, all the water in the pipes of the water fountain and the bathrooms burst out and collected behind Percy. He cracked his knuckles created water fists. If it could, Percy thought the panther looked scared.

Percy went crazy on the cat. The water fists came down savagely, coming up and down, up and down, right and left, right and left. After three minutes of the water attack, Percy let the water collapse in a wave all over the panther. Percy was breathing hard and saw that the panther was lying in a pool of blood. Its never-ending fire was extinguished, and steam was coming from the places where the fire was previously roaring. The fire must have been its life force. Percy was breathing heavily and he felt the adrenaline leave his body. The pain from the bite and the swipe hit him like sixteen collapsing walls, and his skin was burning in those places. He turned towards Cyrene and took multiple steps. Blood was still flowing from his wound and he covered his neck one more. He was about fifty feet away, and it was still nighttime outside. The cool September air was freezing as it passed through his exposed internal body. Percy took a survey of the area. The Parthenon replica was reduced to rubble, Grover was knocked out, and Thalia was nowhere to be found. He struggled towards his baby sister, and even from that distance away, Cyrene seemed to make eye contact with him. Percy screamed, "CYRENE!" His mother had told him that at three months, babies would start to smile and recognize their family members' voices. That's exactly what happened, as Cyrene started to smile wider and thrash around in her swaddle.

Every step was hell, but he had closed the distance to twenty feet. However, Annabeth jogged up and scooped Cyrene up in her arms. She had a few cuts on her, but looked relatively unscathed from her scuffle with Thalia. She took one look at Percy, who was bleeding out. She reached into her pants pocket and threw a square of ambrosia at him, as well as some medical gauze/tape. She put Cyrene on her back, and went to grab Nico. He started to thrash around in his bounds, as Grover had only made about 20 percent progress with his knives. Annabeth easily picked Nico up by his bounds and started to drag them away. She said a silent prayer, and a black and blue portal opened up, swallowing Annabeth, Cyrene, and Nico whole. Percy saw the trees through the destination Annabeth was going before the portal closed, and those trees looked familiar.

They were headed to Camp Half-Blood.

Percy weakly raised a hand to warn them, then succumbed to his injuries and lost consciousness.


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or any related characters! Please, please, PLEASE review if you read; all feedback is greatly appreciated. You all are awesome, and thank you for reading my story!**

 _Annabeth was walking through the forest with Cyrene on her back and with Nico in her hands. It was about 3:00 in the morning. The fall air whisked through the trees, making even Percy's dream-self shiver. It smelled like fall out there, but not the homey fall vibe that Hestia had created in their hotel room; a violent, wild, forest fall that includes the smell of blood. Percy recognized the area as the West Woods, where he and Annabeth had forged into during a particularly weird game. They were supposed to collect all the gold laurels while stopping anyone/thing that tried to collect their lives._

 _As Annabeth walked, it caught Percy off guard how strong she was; she was easily carrying Nico off the ground as if he was a suitcase. He always knew she was fit, but there weren't many feats of strength that she had displayed. However, Percy thought back to when she had carried the sky and had matched weapon strikes with Kronos himself and retracted that previous statement. Percy saw Nico close his eyes, clench his fist, and show exertion on his face, but the bracelet's markings glowed and he stopped trying. Annabeth stopped next to an opening between two boulders. Percy recognized that immediately as the way they had entered the Labyrinth in years ago. Was that time the turning point? Why was so much of her plan contingent on our trip through the Labyrinth? Was she entering the Labyrinth? If so, they would have to recruit Rachel and go through there themselves if they were ever to catch her._

 _Annabeth knelt down and put a small cylinder with thick green liquid in it. Percy's blood went cold. He didn't know if that was out of fear or because of the wind. That was Greek fire, some of the most dangerous substances in existence. Annabeth made sure the detonator on the cylinder was primed, picked Nico up like a sack of potatoes, and set him down against a tree about five to ten feet away from the bomb. Percy panicked. Was she going to kill Nico?!_

 _She tapped the bracelet on his wrist and a golden flickering shield erupted around him. She took out a glowing string, which she put on the ground, straightening it so it was facing Nico. Percy recognized the string as Ariadne's string; she was trying to lead something out of the Labyrinth. She continued to walk. Was that a detonator on her wrist? In response, Cyrene yawned on her back, and Annabeth fought a smile._

 _As Percy's dream self followed Annabeth, his homing radar was buzzing like crazy; his senses told him that she was walking towards Camp Half-Blood. It was eerily silent as Annabeth walked, besides the wind. Annabeth got to the borders of camp and Percy saw two things coming up. First was an artifact that glowed warm, golden light even through his dreams; the Golden Fleece. It made the wind feel like a breeze, and he could see its energy seeping into the tree it was hanging on, forging the boundaries for the camp. Percy had an epiphany; both the Fleece and the Nemean Lion's Pelt were two indestructible pieces of golden fur that he had been given one time or another. Percy shook the thought out of his head. The second thing he saw was Peleus, a long dragon who woke up and looked up at Annabeth. If it could smile, it gave her one and went back to sleep. Annabeth took out her hybrid sword and cradled Peleus' head. She took two deep breaths and looked to the sky, as if she was trying to stop herself from crying. On the third breath, she reached her sword back and stabbed it straight through Peleus' head, through his brain, and out the top of his head._

 _Percy's dream self screamed as the Stygian ice on the sword started to freeze the area that was punctured. Tendrils of ice spread about six inches from the initial contact, and Peleus was killed instantly. Percy felt like fighting someone. Peleus was one of the most loyal additions to the camp, and now he's dead. Annabeth stepped on Peleus, reached up, and grabbed the Golden Fleece from its branch. She closed her eyes and Percy saw she had her concentrating face on. As she concentrated, the Fleece melted into almost an energy-liquid and merged with her plain brown shirt, now creating a shirt that was brown with glowing golden stripes, almost like a tiger. Cyrene smiled on her back and snuggled closer to Annabeth's back, probably enjoying the warmth of the Fleece._

 _Did Annabeth do that for Cyrene? Did she take the Fleece to ensure her safety? Percy shook his head and chastised himself. He continued to interpret certain things that Annabeth did as being brave, heroic, or kind, when she literally had put a sword through the protector of the camp's head and stole the source of the camp's magic borders. He needed to stop looking at her as being redeemable. Annabeth took out a watch from her pocket and pressed it. In the distance, there was a large explosion that produced a large cloud of green smoke. The Greek fire bomb had blown up, and Percy screamed again. Nico was there!_

 _Annabeth lounged against a tree and waited. Percy looked at Camp to see if he could find anything out of the ordinary. He was going to try to will his dream self onto the Camp grounds when he heard large footsteps. Percy turned and saw one of the most terrifying sights he's ever seen. Monsters came from the exploded Labyrinth entrance; huge monsters. Gorgons, empousai (Percy wondered what his high school cheerleaders were doing here), manticores, Telekhines, giant humanoids, and other monsters trudged towards Annabeth. They undoubtedly smelled the many demigods in one place and headed there by instinct. Annabeth looked fearlessly towards the monstrous army coming towards her. She looked up in the sky and saw huge wings flapping in the air. A being landed in front of all the monsters, and Percy recognized it as Kamp_ _ѐ_ _, the jailer of the Cyclops and Hundred-Handed Ones. She was a sadist, and took great pleasure in torturing anyone she could get her hands on. Was she the one who Annabeth was serving? It didn't seem likely though; Kamp_ _ѐ_ _was too much of a wild and uncontrollable spirit to employ Annabeth as a sleeper agent. Annabeth maintained her composure, but Percy saw fear flash in her eyes. Kamp_ _ѐ_ _and the monsters walked until they were ten feet from Annabeth and all of them stopped, as if it was part of a Thriller dance routine. If Annabeth was serving Kamp_ _ѐ, it sure seemed like the other way around._

 _Annabeth turned towards the camp and took out her watch again. She pressed another button on her watch, and Percy saw his worst nightmare come true. Every single cabin and building, including the Big House, exploded in Greek fire. Percy could feel the heat, even in his dream. Percy tried to attack Annabeth, but his dream self wouldn't allow it; he was just a passenger of this ride for now. Annabeth began to walk onto the grounds of Camp Half-Blood and the monsters followed. Once more, it was deathly silent as they trudged into Percy's destroyed home._

Percy woke up in all types of pain. His head hurt, his neck hurt, the swipe on his face hurt, and his body was sore from all the times Percy hit the ground. All he thought was, _Camp..._

He tried to sit up, but pain wound up and punched him back down. A hand went on his chest.

"Relax, hero."

Power flowed through the hand and he looked up. Looking down on him was a very beautiful woman that looked in her late twenties with chocolate-colored skin and curly black hair. She had caramel-colored eyes that seemed to glow with power. She smiled and her teeth almost seem to glow. She held a straw up to his lips. Percy drank and tasted his mother's chocolate chip cookies. He put together quickly that she had fed him ambrosia, the food of the gods. She hummed a melodic song as she walked away from him and Percy saw that she had on a business suit. When Percy focused harder, through the Mist, he saw that she wore a glowing white Greek-style dress. He felt like he was on Calypso's island again, where he gets knocked out and a gorgeous woman nurses him back to health.

Percy began to feel better and he sat up slowly. He was on a couch that was in a dimly lit room that glowed red and golden. The room looked like a jazz lounge, with chairs and tables set up and all of them pointing towards the stage. From the ceiling above the stage hung four lights that shined light on the four chairs on the stage. The stage itself seemed to glow with a golden light. The atmosphere was warm and soulful. Percy saw that there was a thirty foot wooden square hanging behind the stage that seemed to have different brushstrokes of colors and shadings. There was brown, caramel brown, yellow, honey, golden, dark brown, and other variations on brown and yellow. There were three words in the center that seemed to glow golden; _The Commodore Grill_. Percy turned the other way and saw three other couches, where Thalia and Grover were on as well. Percy saw two more women, one at each couch. They both looked exactly like the one who nursed Percy, but they just had different hairstyles. One's hair was tied and put up so that a large puff of hair was sticking out on top. The other's hairstyle had a large, thick, obsidian black afro of curly hair. It seemed to shift and move as she moved, reminding Percy of Medusa. The women put straws to both Grover and Thalia's mouth, and his friends began to stir and sit up. They were alive.

Percy looked up at the women. They were nice, beautiful women that looked like triplets and had healed his friends. They may be monsters, or they may be gods. He wasn't going to take his chance with the former. His hand reflexively went to his neck to check his wound, but it was mostly gone. What was left was a long, thin scar that Percy could feel. Another addition to his decoration of painful souvenirs from battles. He was still in his white shirt that he had gone to sleep in the previous night at Camp Jupiter. It was now stained with a lot of blood though, so it almost looked like a Thrasher-hipster T-shirt he was wearing. He had gauze covering half his neck and wrapping around his shoulder. Percy's hand crept to the pen in his pocket.

"Who are you all?" Percy's voice came out as hoarse and rough, and every word hurt his throat.

The one who had nursed him to health walked over to the other two women, who stood on either side of her. They waved their hands and the three couches quickly slid together and melted into one large couch where Percy, Thalia, and Grover were sitting on together. The women were right in the center of their vision, and Percy felt like he and his friends were an audience for these mysterious women.

The middle one smiled. "I…am…Aoide. But you can call me Ao." After every word in her first sentence, a saxophone or trumpet played a quick _staccato_ as if she had her own personal backup jazz instrumentalists. Thalia looked around suspiciously, but couldn't find the source of the music. Grover was too busy trying to pick his mouth off the floor. Percy figured Juniper wouldn't be too happy.

The one to the left, who had nursed Thalia flipped her hair and struck a pose like Beyoncé. "And I…am…Melete. But you can call me Mel." After her introduction, the invisible jazz instruments held a long note, like a finale of the song.

The one to the right, who had nursed Grover at the far couch, and popped her leg as if she was on the runway of a fashion show. "I…am Mneme. But you can call me Nemi." The sound of applause sounded through the room as if it was a packed lounge, and the three women bowed and smiled. Percy, Thalia, and Grover looked at each other and began to clap as well.

Ao focused her attention on them once more. "And we…are the Muses."

Grover almost knocked out on the spot. "The Muses? _THE Muses?!_ "

Percy could only think of the women who would sing the ironic gospel songs in the movie _Hercules._ He _did_ see a bit of a resemblance, and Percy felt like his mind was melting.

Mel smiled at Grover and Ao seemed to read Percy's mind, since she giggled a bit. Mel answered, "Yes, sir. Well, we expanded our ranks a little bit. First, there were us three, then we increased to nine, and now we have applications every spring for some more soulful women who will be able to join our countless number of Muses."

Thalia rubbed her eyes as if she was dreaming. "This…is the Commodore Grill. I thought you all were supposed to be hanging out at temples of Apollo?"

Nemi tapped her chin as if that was a good point. "You're right, Ms. Grace. But…every music lounge, club, and performance theater is a modern-day temple to Apollo, wouldn't you say? He _is_ the god of music and the arts, after all."

Thalia frowned in response.

Mel nodded. "We have Muses watching over every single lounge, club, or area that celebrates music, spoken word, or poetry. Speaking of which, do we have any word on Beyoncé's application?"

Nemi shook her head. "We need to wait until that comes down from Apollo's corporate, and then we can get back to her."

Percy pressed his head to his temples. It made about as much sense as everything else in this world. "How did you find us?"

Ao beckoned at Thalia. "That one had picked both of you up from the Parthenon replica down the street and had limped all the way down the road. She was nursing her own injuries though, so she got to our lounge and the poor thing passed out. Mel sensed you all here and we brought you inside. And…it's on the news."

Nemi waved her hand and the sign that said _"The Commodore Grill"_ changed into a television, which flipped to a _Breaking News_ station. It showed policemen, firefighters, and ambulances at the scene of the Parthenon replica ruins. They heard a reporter speak on the subject.

" _In a rare turn of events, sources say that the Parthenon replica in Nashville, Tennessee was struck by a bolt of lightning, reducing it to ash and rubble. Police found the regular late night shift security guards tied up safely, about a hundred feet away. Maybe Athena was not happy about something."_ The news-caster gave a radiant grin before Nemi waved her hand and the television disappeared.

Percy looked at Thalia, who matched his gaze. He sent a silent _thank you_ to her. She nodded back. Grover was sweating at this point. "Thank…thank you! Thank you all so much! You all are so fabulous and so amazing and so wonderful, and so…I don't know, you're great."

They all smiled at once. "Thank you, Grover."

The satyr almost died.

Ao trained her eyes on Percy and her face turned deadly serious. "But this one has something to tell you all."

She looked at Percy meaningfully for a strong second, then turned to the others with a smile. "We'll leave you three to it. I hope you all feel better! It is about 3:15 a.m. and we have to get ready for opening! We hope you feel better; we tried our best to patch you all up. Luckily, there was gauze and ambrosia on you all's person when we brought you in."

The Muses snapped at once, and they disappeared with a loud jazz note.

With the red-golden lighting and the setting, the ambiance felt like Percy, Thalia, and Grover were in a club. Thalia raised an eyebrow. "Who brought the gauze and the ambrosia?"

Percy thought back to the encounter and saw Annabeth toss it at him without a second glance. "Annabeth did."

Grover perked up. "She gave you materials you needed to save yourself?"

Percy shook his head. "I don't know. It's all so weird. She'll go after everything I love and do heartless things, but will go out of her way to do small things to protect me or Cyrene. It doesn't make sense."

A very small part of Percy thought that it may be because she actually _does_ love him, even if it's just as a friend. The rest of Percy pulled that thought into a dark alley and beat it down.

Thalia sniffed. "I don't know. It was tough fighting her. Not just because she was my friend, but because she knew my fighting style, and it was like she was predicting every move before I executed it. It also seemed like she wasn't all of her effort; it seemed like she was bouncing around and letting me do all the heavy lifting when it came to destroying the Parthenon replica."

Thalia looked up bashfully. "Sorry for that. I was so angry that I didn't see her plan until it was too late."

Percy put his hands up. "It's no one's fault but Annabeth's. First, I wanted to call myself a _vlacas_ because I left Camp Jupiter without any battle materials. We had no armor, no special weapons, no ambrosia, no first-aid materials; I was so angry and so blinded that I had you all shadow travel with me without any preparation."

Grover bleated. "Perrrrrcy, it's oka-"

"No, it's not okay. Grover, you ended up fighting in a T-shirt. Thalia was still in her sleep clothes, but luckily she has her Hunter outfit on demand. And I was fighting in a white T-shirt and sweatpants. If a sword strike had gone the wrong way, it would've gone straight through us. I'm sorry."

Thalia smiled. "Yeah, you are a _vlacas_."

Percy half-smiled, but then recalled something. "I remember now. Those bracelets with the weird markings on them? That Annabeth, Nico, and Cyrene had? They had hieroglyphs on them. They're Egyptian magic charms."

Grover's mouth hung open and Thalia sat forward. "Percy, are you sure? This is getting into a new pantheon of gods and monsters here."

Percy nodded confidently. "Yeah. A few years ago, Annabeth and I had met some Egyptian magicians and we had collaborated to defeat a common enemy. Whether Annabeth had engineered that so she could get access to the magic, I'm not sure. But I bet you those charms are cursed with Egyptian magic, and that's why they're all hidden from the gods and why Nico wasn't able to use his powers."

Thalia nodded thoughtfully. "Interesting sentiment, but even Greek gods can see Egyptian magicians. According to Artemis, people who are embroiled in different pantheons of gods have a different aura about them, almost like a different color."

"What about Annabeth's invisibility hat," Grover pointed out.

Thalia raised an eyebrow. "What about it?"

Something in Percy clicked. "No, Grover's right! Good thinking, goat!"

Grover blushed. Percy elaborated. "Annabeth probably had her invisibility hat blessed or cursed by Sadie's charms the last time we had a rendezvous with the Egyptian magicians."

Thalia looked confused. "Sadie…?"

"She's one of the magicians we met," Percy quickly said. "But, Athena gave that invisibility hat to hide from Greek monsters, demigods, and mortals. What if…with the help of Egyptian magic, it can make Annabeth invisible from even the gods?"

Thalia nodded. "It's not unheard of. That's how King Arthur's legendary sword Excalibur operated; it was so sought after because every single pantheon of gods had blessed it with their magic. It allowed the sword to be used against any living or dead being that the wielder encountered. If that same principle was applied to her hat and Annabeth combined magic from two pantheon of gods, it would explain how she was able to kill Iris and Fleecy without being seen."

Grover stood up. "So, to apply Hestia's lesson; Annabeth and Nico's demigod physiology make them glowing fire people. With those charms on their wrists, they turn into regular fire people, camouflaged among the rest of the world."

Thalia pointed out, "Which makes it hard for the gods to find. Hestia mentioned that they'd have to scour through every single building of every single city of every single state to find someone with that charm."

Grover continued. "But when Annabeth puts on that hat, the mix of Greek and Egyptian magic combines perfectly and her fire person disappears."

Percy nodded. "That's how she did it. She knew the gods were going to take special interest in Iris and Fleecy's death, and she needed to cover her tracks."

Thalia rubbed her chin. "But why go to the Parthenon in the first place? And why not keep the hat on at all times?"

Grover thought for a second. "Maybe she was worried that the Egyptian magic would take a toll on Cyrene. Or maybe it hurts. Or maybe she likes to see herself as she moves around. Regarding the Parthenon-"

"It's hiding in plain sight," Percy finished dejectedly. "It's one of Annabeth's favorite techniques; especially with her demigod aura disguised, no one would think to look for her at the Parthenon replica. That's like looking in the Poseidon cabin if someone told you I'd been missing for a few weeks."

Thalia shrugged. "I would check there first. Maybe you were having a really good sleep."

Grover grinned. Percy remembered his dream. "Speaking of which, I have a dream to tell you all about. It's pretty heavy, so fair warning. Annabeth had her new hybrid sword and was walking through the forest around Camp Half-Blood. She still had Cyrene on her back. She set and primed a Greek fire bomb right by the entrance to the Labyrinth, and placed Nico and Ariadne's string a few feet away. How she acquired all of these materials is lost to me. My guess is that she used Nico's Big Three demigod scent as bait for monsters. She used the string to most likely give a clear path out of the Labyrinth for the monsters. Nico had his charm on him, which Annabeth tapped and released a golden, flickering shield, which is probably an Egyptian spell of protection."

Thalia nodded while Grover gulped. This time, Percy could read his friend's emotions; he was thinking about Juniper. Percy continued. "She walked to the Camp border. Peleus saw her and went back to sleep, but…she killed him. A sword straight through the head."

Grover sprung up, tears in his eyes. "NO. That can't be true."

Thalia put her head down sadly and said a quick prayer.

After a sad moment, Percy continued. "She pressed a timer on her watch, and the Greek fire exploded, creating a path out the Labyrinth and straight to Camp. The monsters all filed out, but once they saw Nico was under protection, they began to smell all of Camp Half-Blood's demigods. Mind you, this is early in the morning, so everyone was probably asleep while this was happening. Annabeth took the Golden Fleece, and led the monsters into camp. She pressed another button on his watch and…ah…"

Percy had to fight back tears. He hoped somehow that most demigods had went on a search party or a quest somewhere and escaped this, but he knew that was not realistic.

"…she blew up every single building and cabin at Camp. She must have planted Greek fire bombs underneath them all, and their wood composition probably didn't help either. Every demigod who was sleeping in their bed probably…died instantly."

Thalia and Grover stared at him as if he was the one who did it. Percy looked away when he felt tears threatening to escape. Thalia fell to her knees. "She's gone. Annabeth's really gone."

Grover stalked around and punched a wall. His fist went straight through it. "Juniper, my fiancé, is there! We need to go. NOW!" Grover looked at his Hades ring and reached out both his hands. Though tears were falling freely from her eyes, her eyes showed a steely determination that even made Percy's wolf stare look tame in his opinion. She took a breath.

"We need to go, before she can do this to anyone else." She turned to Grover. "Still think she's able to be saved?"

Grover's jaw clenched and Percy sensed him biting back a retort. Thalia clenched her fist, and her ring started to glow with a pale white energy. She grabbed Grover's shoulder and reached her hand out towards Percy.

He looked at the two of them and thought about Camp going up in flames. He reached out and took Thalia's hand. All three of them thought about Camp Half-Blood and they melted into the shadows.

They felt the usual travel noises and speed, but as they began to slow down, an outside force seemed to whisk them to the left for a few seconds. They came out of a shadow by a tree in the same forest, but it was about a hundred feet past where Percy was thinking. He looked forward and saw the monsters trudging around Camp Half-Blood, picking up rubble and checking for demigod remnants. Percy saw Kampѐ grab two harpies and eat them. He uncapped Riptide and anger flowed through him. Thalia and Grover pulled out their weapons. "Let's end this."

Percy dashed forward, and crashed into an invisible, metallic wall, knocking Percy out immediately.


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or any related characters! Please, please, PLEASE review if you read; all feedback is greatly appreciated. You all are awesome, and thank you for reading my story!**

Percy was tired of knocking out and waking up in unfamiliar places. But that's exactly what happened; he woke up in an unfamiliar place. Conversely, he also woke up to countless familiar faces staring down at him. He spotted Chiron, Jason, Piper, Katie Gardner, Connor and Travis Stoll, Lou Ellen, and numerous others. Thalia and Grover were peering over him from either side. Someone pushed through the crowd and grinned down at him. It was Leo Valdez, son of Hephaestus. His eyes danced with a playful glimmer. "Well hello, Sleeping Beauty. Welcome to the Argo III."

Once Percy sat up, Calypso ran to him and put ice on his swelling head. She had on some ripped blue jeans and a royal purple shirt. On her wrist was a bracelet with tiny plastic dragon heads, Argo ships, and flames hanging off it, probably something that Leo made her. She still looked as beautiful as she did when she was immortal. Percy was glad that ice was on his face so he didn't turn red from embarrassment; all he could think about was himself on Ogygia, Calypso falling in love with him, her being cheated by the gods, her cursing Annabeth, falling in love with Leo, and finally being released from her beautiful prison, only to see Annabeth betray the camp. Percy thought that in Calypso's eyes, he was a pretty terrible guy. One thing was for sure, though; he would always respect Leo for being smart enough and dedicated enough to save her. Calypso had always been his biggest _what if_ , and seeing her now, so calm and relaxed made Percy feel weird.

In just a few minutes of Leo's hyperactive storytelling, Percy was caught up on everything. Leo had gone on several adventures with Calypso, chauffeured on the back of Festus, their metal dragon. After months of traveling around the world, they had gotten back to Camp Half-Blood just in time to help Apollo get his Oracles back. Once they helped him with that, Festus had flown Leo and Calypso to Indiana for another adventure, and he was destroyed by Commodus (this very unpleasant guy who has it out for Apollo). Leo and Calypso were trying to rebuild the dragon with the help of a girl named Josephine. Before they could make much headway, they were summoned by Hephaestus and had been teleported to his forges. After a conversation (which Leo avoided elaborating on), Hephaestus had revealed a new and improved Argo ship, complete with new functions and additions. It was three hundred feet long, a hundred feet longer than the previously destroyed model. Sleeping in the main engine room was a rebuilt Festus, with the same hard drive that made Festus, well, _Festus_. Leo had given the ship the creative name of "Argo III."

Leo and Calypso had taken the Argo III for a test drive, but before they could make serious headway, Leo got a notification from one of the sensors in the ship. It was telling Leo that there was a bomb that had just been primed underneath the Hephaestus cabin. Leo had activated the Hephaestus cabin cameras (of course they had cameras installed) and saw that there was a cylinder with thick green liquid underneath the cabin. Leo and Calypso flew to Camp Half-Blood and got there around an hour and a half ago. They assumed that no one had it out for the Hephaestus cabin specifically, and figured that there may be a bomb under every single cabin. They knocked on everyone's doors and sounded the alarms, getting everyone up and filed into the Argo III. Since it was 300 feet long, it was more than enough space to carry everyone, especially since the upper deck held thirty large rooms with ten beds in each room. Next to each bed was a retractable television which the campers watched for live updates. Leo turned on the invisibility panels and for the past hour and a half, they've been parked in the forest right outside Camp Half-Blood and watching to see if anyone comes to attack it. Jake Mason was manning the cameras. He would use them to zoom in around the area while the campers followed along on their televisions. When Annabeth had killed Peleus, stolen the Fleece, and entered camp, the campers watched with horrified faces; they were traumatized that one of their most loyal campers had betrayed them. Once Percy literally ran into the Argo III, the cameras zoomed in on him on the ground and Thalia and Grover around him. The campers got excited and they all had swarmed down to the large main engine room where Jason and Leo were hoisting the three into the ship. Once Thalia and Grover were on the ship, Jason had pushed through the crowd and Thalia picked him up in a big hug that made Leo tear up. They had left Percy on the ground for a few minutes (Percy rolled his eyes at that) as they communed in one of the rooms. Thalia and Grover recounted the details of the mission to all the cabin heads and Chiron. Once Percy started to stir, one of the campers cried out and the heads left the room to check on the son of Poseidon.

Percy realized that while he, Thalia, and Grover were fighting Annabeth and her fire panther, Leo and Calypso had been evacuating the camp. He felt so proud and so happy, that he pulled Leo and Calypso in a hug. Both of them blushed when he did so, but Percy thanked both of them. He released the embrace and uncapped Riptide. The celestial bronze sword seemed to captivate the campers surrounding him. He tapped his wrist and his golden and green shield expanded. He looked down at his blood-stained white shirt, then turned to all the campers in the engine room.

"Camp Half-Blood, Annabeth Chase has betrayed us. She was the one who took my baby sister. She killed Iris and Fleecy, most likely to destroy any chance of anyone Iris-messaging anyone else. She went to Tennessee, and has Nico captured."

Will Solace was looking down at the ground, his eyes red. He had been dating Nico Di Angelo for a while now.

Percy took a breath. "She would've destroyed this camp in an instant. Without Leo, you all would have lost your lives. Annabeth tried to kill all of you and almost succeeded."

Uneasy muttering flowed over the crowd. Chiron was uncharacteristically silent as he looked towards the shadows. Percy felt bad; Annabeth was one of his favorite campers in all his time training heroes, and now she has betrayed him just as Luke did.

Percy looked at Riptide. "But she didn't succeed. You all are still here, alive and well. I will go out there and I will do my best to drive those beasts back. Right now, Annabeth probably thinks you all are dead. Let's keep it that way until she leaves here. I need you all to stay in here as I go out there."

Percy headed towards the back ramp that he had been pulled up into the Argo III on. He felt the camp's eyes on him as he retreated away. Percy smelled electricity, but no Christmas. He knew it was Jason who had grabbed his shoulder before he even turned. "You're not going out there alone. She destroyed all of our homes."

Percy turned to Jason and the two stared each other down fearlessly. A few beats passed and the room started to shift uncomfortably. Percy saw defiance in Jason's eyes, as if he was saying, " _There's no way that my mind is going to be changed."_ That look was familiar; Percy recognized that in Thalia almost every day. He looked down at the engine room floor. "I thought I lost you all. I can't do that again. You guys are my second family."

Jason nodded, but lightning flashed in his eyes. "And you're our family too. What if it's too much out there and you fall on the battlefield? We wouldn't be able to forgive ourselves. We're fighting with you."

Jason raised his voice. "Anyone who doesn't feel comfortable in their combat skills can stay here and man the gun room."

Grover's jaw dropped. "There's a gun room?"

Will Solace pushed forward. "What about Nico? Who's got him?"

Percy looked around. "Anybody who does not feel comfortable fighting on Camp's grounds or in the gun room can go with Will to save Nico. He should be in the forest, around the West Woods."

Piper nodded. "One of the cameras have been focused on him this whole time. We got eyes on him. He's still covered by a golden, flickering half sphere thing though…"

Percy explained, "That is an Egyptian spell of protection. If you're not able to reach him safely, get out of there as soon as possible; we don't know what or how this Egyptian spell works. We also need campers spread out around the perimeter of camp. These monsters need to stay with Camp borders; we don't need them wreaking havoc on my city."

Calypso handed him a breastplate that he slid on. Thalia handed some battle pants and some battle boots. She nodded towards him and turned to the Camp population. "Everyone get your weapons, materials, or whatever you need for your mission. We leave in five minutes."

Everyone started to scramble. Percy ducked into a room and began to change pants. Even though the situation was messed up, he felt at home here. However, Percy didn't know whether he felt at home because he truly belongs here, or because this life is all he knows. Regardless, he figured that his dream of retirement was never going to come to fruition. He had too many enemies, too many friends likely to betray him, _and_ he was the son of one of the Big Three? He was a roasting cookout to passing monsters.

Within forty-six seconds (yes, Percy counted), he was dressed and was ready to go. Thalia came in dressed in her Hunter gear and Grover walked in with his knives. He was looking down at the floor and seemed pretty miserable. Thalia put a hand on his shoulder. "You good, Grover?"

He looked at Thalia glumly. "Yeah, just thinking about Juniper. I hope none of the monsters like eating trees."

Percy's heart went out to his friend. He would be worried sick if he knew that monsters had paraded through the home of his fiancé. He tried for a grin. "Hey, she's a tough tree. She wouldn't dare leave you here like this. You can go look for her if you want, while we storm the camp."

Grover looked up hopefully. "You guys would let me?"

Thalia and Percy looked at each other. "Dude, you're a grown goat. Go find your woman," Thalia laughed.

She didn't need to tell him twice. Grover bounded down the hall, kicked the door open, and sprinted off into the night.

Percy smiled at Thalia. "You're pretty cool, Wonder Woman."

Thalia grinned at him. "Not so bad yourself, Aquaman."

Percy laughed. He thought about how Annabeth told him that he and Thalia were so much alike that it scared her, and that they would either be best friends or worst enemies. Percy was glad it was the former.

Thalia checked her spear and sighed. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and her tanned skin was glowing silver once more. She reminded Percy of walking moonlight. "You're important to me, Percy. You don't know how much I care about you. But you scared me before we had gone to the Parthenon."

Percy thought back and almost immediately remembered how angry he was. Thalia looked at him. "You, yourself, don't scare me. Your Wolf Stare, or whatever you call it, doesn't scare me. I lead a pack of wolves and Hunters around the nation, fighting beasts and immortals everywhere. Fear is kind of old news. But what scared me was when you were cursing the gods and telling us that you were ready to _kill_ Annabeth…well, you were starting to sound like Luke."

Time stopped and Percy's mouth hung slightly agape. He had to agree with Thalia there; he was around the same age as Luke was when Percy first met him, and Percy had ended up expressing the same feelings towards the gods that Luke did. Percy had judged Luke all his adolescence, and had no right to do so anymore.

Thalia's eyes did its usual thing and bore into him. "My entire life, I have never had one strong, positive male role model. Between Zeus' deadbeat dad thing, the teachers who got me in trouble, the monsters that tried to kill us, and the drunk perverts that would catcall at my mom and I when we were younger, I thought all men were terrible people. They seemed to feel entitled to abusing and taking advantage of whatever they could get their hands on. When Luke came along, I thought that he was different; he was cool, funny, and good with a weapon. But most of all, he was caring. He seemed to genuinely care about me and Annabeth, and we loved him in turn."

Thalia's eyes took on a steely anger to it. "And then he betrayed us, Camp, and Olympus. At that point, I realized that all the men in my life had failed me in some way. I turned to the Hunters, partly to escape the prophecy, partly to honor Zoe, and partly to swear off the group of people that had continued to hurt me all my life; men. But then I got to know you, Jackson, and you were different. You brought me back to life as a human. You were headstrong and impulsive, just like me, but your love for your friends and family was stronger than anything I had ever encountered. You stood up to Zoe and Artemis, Ares and Zeus, Hades and Poseidon. Every single Titan you encountered either feared or respected you, even Kronos. Your name is a threat among the community of monsters, and a legend among the demigods. You stood up to me and Aegis years ago when I got in your face after Capture the Flag. You demanded respect from everyone you met without asking for it. Your powers are awesome, and you are refreshingly humble. For gods' sakes, your fatal flaw is personal loyalty! You were the first good man and subsequently, the first real man I ever met. I don't want you to lose that. I'm mad…no, I'm furious with Annabeth too. But remember who you are. Don't lose sight of that, or you'll fall down a slippery slope quicker than you know."

Thalia kept her gaze for a few beats and left the room with the other campers filing out. Percy was left staring off into space, trying to remember how to walk. Thalia poked her head in the room and sprayed Percy with a hose of water. The water acted like caffeine, bringing Percy's senses and attention to hyperactive levels. Percy gritted his teeth, dried himself, and poured out the door with the other campers. He leapt out the Argo III and landed onto the forest soil. His senses told him it was about 4:00 a.m., and the wind was beginning to pick up. Percy saw that every single camper who had exited the Argo III was waiting around in a crowd. Once they saw him, they parted a way for him; they were waiting for him to lead the charge.

The breakdown: there were about 150 campers out of the total 300 campers outside with him. Percy looked up at the Argo III. All twenty of the Apollo kids had hustled up to the top deck and drew their bows and arrows. They looked like they were standing on thin air, but Percy knew they were on top of the Argo. They all had their eyes on him, waiting for his command. Calypso was leading the group that manned the huge guns. There were about thirty campers who were in the gun-seats, ready to blow up monsters. 90 out of the remaining 100 campers had spread out along a perimeter around the property line, across the Fireworks beach and around the stables. They all had varying weapons, trying to keep the monsters inside of Camp. The last ten campers, led by Will Solace, was Nico's rescue team. They had headed out moments ago.

Percy pushed his way to the front of the crowd, feeling the campers' energy just as he feels water running through the pipes of a building. Percy saw the monsters still tearing up the place, trying to find some tasty demigods to eat. Percy saw Annabeth standing by the volleyball courts, her Golden Fleece stripes visibly glowing even from that distance away. He saw Cyrene still on her back. He looked to his right. Thalia was there, with her bow and arrow, and she nodded at him. He looked to his left and saw Jason there, holding his spear. He grinned at Percy and waited for his command.

Percy never thought he would go into battle flanked by two children of Zeus, but he wasn't complaining. He cracked his neck and he felt the Wolf stir inside of him. He gave a feral grin and sprinted towards the monsters. The campers followed his lead and they stormed the army of monsters.


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or any related characters! Please, please, PLEASE review if you read; all feedback is greatly appreciated. You all are awesome, and thank you for reading my story!**

Chaos.

If the battle for Camp Half-Blood was described in one word, it was chaos. 150 campers charged twice as many monsters straight on. Apollo campers were sniping different monsters in their heads, hearts, and any other weak spots. A dragon screamed at ten campers who had employed their Camp Half-Blood training to defeat the monster. Explosions were erupting, monsters roared, campers screamed, and rain fell from the sky, courtesy of Percy. One highlight of the battle was three Apollo arrows flying and piercing the three heads of one of the monsters attacking a twelve-year old demigod.

The campers swiped, stabbed, shielded, attacked, and parried. Campers went flying, but just as many monsters' heads went rolling. Leo had taken Festus out early, and was flying around Camp, torching everyone he could with his new and improved dragon. Jason and Thalia were sentient channels of lightning, using the destructive force to shock, lobotomize, and kill monsters left and right. At one point, Jason took his spear and stabbed three monsters in the neck in one thrust as a bolt of lightning struck a nearby humanoid giant. Thalia would have made Artemis proud. She was sprinting and killing without breaking stride, using her arrows, her lightning, her spear, and her knives seamlessly and with such flawless transition that it seemed like she was wielding one weapon that had the ability to morph into others. Percy's personal favorite move was: she had leapt in the air and split-kicked two harpies in the head without looking. What she _was_ looking at was the rows of monsters in front of her, and in the split second that she was kicking the two harpies, she notched three arrows, charged them with lightning, and shot them so hard that it released with a sonic boom and flung through multiple monsters in those rows. This was all in about three-quarters of a second, and Percy was proud to call her a friend. It reminded Percy of how impressed he would be of Annabeth on the battlefield and how he wished that she was fighting with them.

Percy felt like a demon. Riptide was an arc of golden destruction, attacking every single monster in the line of execution. His Wolf senses had increased his peripheral vision and had tinged his vision red. He was sprinting, slicing a Telkhine's throat, throwing his shield at a manticore, slicing through an empousai, catching the shield as it bounced off the manticore's head, blocking a strike from a gorgon, spinning and stabbing it in the chest, and pounding a huge camel-like creature with a water fist from the lake. Percy kept fighting his way through the crowd of monsters and he wasn't thinking any more. He was kicking, slicing, stabbing, throwing, catching, dodging, leaping, punching, and shielding, doing all of this on instinct. At one point, he saw Piper fighting a telekhine, and he threw Riptide. He hadn't even thought about aiming, but Apollo must have been on his side because it pierced the telkhine right in the neck, crumbling it into dust. Thalia, without stopping, had scooped up Riptide, killed two monsters with it, grabbed the point of the blade and threw it at Percy hilt first. The sword was flying at super-speed, but Percy caught it easily and transitioned into an upper-hand thrust straight through a giant's throat.

The rainfall was constantly invigorating Percy, healing wounds, and giving him some more weapons to utilize against the enemies. At one point, Percy drew water out of the rainfall, formed it into seven swords, and sent it towards seven enemies. As they flew in the air, they froze into ice swords and impaled seven throats. Percy kept running and came to a stop. Annabeth was standing there with her hybrid sword, staring at him. Her gray eyes analyzed his posture and she tightened the grip on her sword. She was ready for a fight.

He hesitated for a deadly second as some monster grabbed him by the shirt and threw him the opposite way. Percy landed hard in the wet, muddy ground. He got up and saw an eight foot, gray-skinned monster with bony extrusions that came out of its skin. The protruding bone spikes coming out of its fists reminded Percy of large brass knuckles or of bony Wolverine claws. The entire monster's image made Percy think of the monster Doomsday from the Superman comics. Annabeth had seen the creature when they were reading comics together a few months ago. When she saw Doomsday, she said, "Wow, that looks that an Aeternae. This author must have been a clear-sighted mortal and been inspired by it." Percy didn't know what an Aeternae was, but he never looked at comics the same way.

Percy spun Riptide and attacked. The monster punched its spiky fist downward, trying to force Percy to stop his charge. However, Percy tried the same strategy he used with the Minotaur; he attempted to jump, tear an extrusion off the monster's skin, and stab him with it. Unfortunately, when he jumped up, the monster gave him a deadly quick uppercut with its free arm. It felt like someone had knives between their fingers and punched Percy's jaw. The extrusions had pierced Percy's skin and his blood flowed out his face as he went flying backwards twenty feet. This monster punched harder than Thalia. Percy cradled his chin and felt the wound heal as the rain fell on his face. Percy got up again, and had an idea. He put his hand on the ground. The words of Hephaestus went through his head.

 _You're the son of the Earthshaker, lad._

Percy focused on the ground, and felt the tectonic plates moving. He focused and this time, he felt a tugging in his chest. Percy yelled and the ground around the Aeternae collapsed, swallowing the creature underground. He focused again, and the earth re-formed as if it didn't just consume a monster. He looked in the direction of Annabeth, but she was gone. Percy turned to look at the rest of the battle; Camp Half-Blood was starting to lose. Though the campers had taken on the first wave of monsters valiantly, there were still monsters filing straight into Camp. Percy knew the Labyrinth was large and never-ending, meaning that there very well may be an unlimited number of monsters in there. On the ground, Percy saw some campers impaled with their own swords, lying with their faces crushed, screaming with their limbs ripped off. He felt distraught…Annabeth had done all of this. He saw Kampѐ trudge towards Thalia, lift her sword, and sent a camper that was in her way flying fifty feet. Percy gripped Riptide and got ready to dive back in when he heard a chorus of screams.

The entire battlefield stopped fighting and looked towards the beach. Charging towards the battlefield was roughly one hundred twenty-foot-tall humanoid monsters. They wore heavy battle armor and were dripping wet. Percy focused and saw that they all had one eye; they were Cyclopes! The lead one was the most muscular and wielded a large hammer. The lead one screamed, "FOR POSEIDON!" Percy recognized that voice anywhere.

Tyson, and the Cyclopes of Poseidon, had joined the battle.

They added a much-needed edge to the battle, and Percy saw the campers fight with renewed vigor. Once the Cyclopes reached the main battle field, they commenced with stepping on enemies, tearing them apart, using enemies as baseball bats to hit other monsters, punching monsters so hard that they disintegrated, etc. Percy grinned and yelled, "YEAH, TYSON!" Percy ran towards Kampѐ, who was now running towards Thalia, probably to have a quick meal before the Cyclopes reached her. He leapt onto her back, and with one swipe, cut off one of her wings. Kampѐ shrieked and tried to grasp Percy. He was in a good spot though; it looked like she was trying to reach an itch on the spot of her back that she can't reach. Thalia took this opportunity to open her hands, materialize her spear, and stab Kampѐ straight through her throat. It didn't seem to kill the beast though, she just focused all her attention towards Thalia irritably. Percy leapt off her back, formed a large water fist, and punched Kampѐ with so much force that she flew back about twenty feet. She got up snarling and half-ran, half-flew at Percy. Percy realized her strides were big enough that she could reach Percy within a second. Percy turned and ran as quickly as he could.

He heard a roar and Percy looked back. A Cyclops was flying through the air and fell right behind Kampѐ, making her stumble. The Cyclops grabbed her tail and flipped her body over its head, slamming her into the ground. Another Cyclops ran up, grabbing her face. In a brutal show of strength that made even Percy cringe, the Cyclopes tore Kampѐ in two, cheering as her body disintegrated into dust. They bowed towards Percy and went back to the battle. Percy ran over to Thalia, who looked genuinely shaken up. He cupped her face. "You good? You good?"

Thalia stared into space and seemed almost broken; she had almost lost her life. Percy shook her slightly. "Focus on my eyes. Come on, Wonder Woman. You can do this." Thalia's eyes focused on Percy, then struck with lightning. She scrambled up and Percy ran towards the fight. He saw Tyson fighting a giant that was the size of him, trading blows. Percy threw Riptide so that it went through the giant's knee, making it buckle. Tyson took the chance to punch it, then raise both his arms over his head. His muscles bulged as his hands clasped together. In a savage overhead blow, Tyson knocked out the giant. He grinned at Percy. "Yeah, big brother!"

Percy wondered which one of them was the _big_ brother, but he gave him a thumbs-up. He looked off towards the forest and saw more monsters attacking in the distance. Percy started to feel discouraged; not even the campers and the Cyclopes combined would be able to hold their own for much longer. Their army of 150 was depleted to about 100, and the Cyclopes' army of 100 was now 80. The 20 Apollo kids were now 13, and the 90 campers who were on the perimeter was now 63. And Percy felt responsible for every single death. Hatred burned through his blood; he hated how these monsters' sole purpose seemed to be causing death and destruction. He hated how these demigods' parents were never going to see their children again. He hated that the one who engineered all of this was the woman he loved.

Percy put Riptide down. He wanted to try something, but he wasn't sure how well it would work. But it was worth a try. He bent to one knee and put his hand on the ground. He concentrated and let go of all his emotions. It was hard because he would open his eyes and see a camper go flying or see a monster attack him. Even with his eyes closed, he would hear the screams of campers or the laughter of the monsters, or the battle cries of the Cyclopes, or hear some creature stepping towards him. Yet, every monster who stepped to him got blasted by lightning. Percy opened his eyes and saw Thalia run in front of him. She was both shooting arrows and launching her spear to protect Percy. He asked himself, _Do you trust Thalia to protect you?_

Percy thought back to Thalia's temptation to sacrifice the Ophiotaurus, to the Capture the Flag fight, to her kicking him out the car she was driving, to her appearing in his dreams with stormy green instead of electric blue. Annabeth had said that his eyes looked stormy green whenever he was angry, so the dream could have been a message that Thalia Grace and Percy Jackson were more alike than they thought. Though most of these were not-so-great memories, Percy reasoned that though Thalia wasn't perfect, she knew her flaws and worked every day to fix them.

Percy answered himself, _Yes._

His mind went blank and he focused his energy. He began to feel vibrations, pulses, and tectonic plates shifting. Percy felt the earth; he felt the battle being raged on it, he felt the corpses lying on it, he felt the Aeternae punching and trying to claw its way out of a hundred foot hole made in the earth. He wondered if this is how Gaea always feels, so connected with the earth.

Percy grabbed and raised his sword, and plunged Riptide into the earth with a yell. Tendrils of golden energy spread through the earth about five feet out, then faded. He felt a huge tugging in his chest. The earth around the Camp Half-Blood perimeter cracked into two and started to spread away from each other. The cracks went around the entire perimeter fairly quickly, with the crack following a path that went right in front of the monsters who were charging through the forest. It forced them to stop, lest they fall into the space in the ground. It looked like there were small bombs going off around the entire perimeter, but the bombs were the earth splitting and cracking. The cracks went along Fireworks Beach, around the Property Line, around where Thalia's tree used to be, behind the Big House, and ending at Zephynos Creek. With a yell, Percy willed the earth to shake and spread out. The ground shook so hard that Percy's teeth felt like they were about to fall out, but Percy kept going. He pushed the crack in the earth as far as he could, and then stopped.

The monsters, campers, and Cyclopes had stopped the battle to look at what happened. Percy struggled to stand up and saw that he had created a chasm; a roughly circular two-hundred-foot rift between the borders of Camp Half-Blood and the surrounding forests. The ground at the borders of both sides was jagged and rough, just as Percy felt at the moment. But he wasn't done. Percy closed his eyes and made contact with as many beings as he possibly could. There was a familiar tugging in his gut, and the water from the Long Island Sound poured into this large circular rift. With the water poured in the sea monsters and creatures that Camp Half-Blood would spar against. They all were telepathically told by Percy that there may be some large, tasty meals trying to cross the body of water. Thalia looked around. Percy was done. He had created a 200-foot-wide, coursing river around all of Camp Half-Blood and effectively made Camp Half-Blood an island.

Percy panted, trying to catch his breath. Sweat was beading down his forehead, and he didn't think he had the energy to dry it up. However, Thalia yelled, "GROVER, JUNIPER! NOW!"

Grover and Juniper popped from a bush in the middle of the battlefield. Grover and Juniper both inhaled and released a fierce, horrible wail; a Panic. The monsters on both sides of the new river turned and ran, but the monsters in the camp borders had nowhere safe to go. However, they didn't seem to care; the creatures turned, dropped their weapons and plunged into the new river in terror. Percy saw the campers stationed at the perimeter pick up their weapons and run out of the way. Once the monsters made contact with the water, though, huge sea monsters burst out of the water, swallowing and consuming them whole. The campers just watched as the sea creatures had an early Thanksgiving meal, tearing apart and eating monsters. Percy looked across the river, using his Lupa-enhanced eyesight. He saw the monsters running in the same direction they came. They leapt into the Labyrinth, with the last monster closing the rocks behind them.

The battle for Camp Half-Blood was over. They had won.

The group who set out to search for Nico reported back to Percy. Will Solace tearfully told him that Nico was gone when they had gotten there; Annabeth must've taken him again. Percy realized that Annabeth was nowhere to be found since right before the Aeternae appeared. She must have taken Nico and ran into one of those blue/black portals, knowing that Percy would stay here and fight instead of pursuing her.

They spent the next hour burying the dead. Chiron gave a fallen-in-battle eulogy for the 114 campers and 20 Cyclopes that were dead.

Everything had ended around 6:00 in the morning. Percy realized that they had fought for an hour straight and they had buried the dead for just as long. The sun was just starting to come up. Leo called the Argo III over the river using Hephaestus' remote-control/drone technology, and the ship parked itself right in the middle of the camp. The remaining 186 campers piled into it and crawled into the beds, infirmaries, or showers to either sleep, heal, cry, or do any combination of the three.


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or any related characters! Please, please, PLEASE review if you read; all feedback is greatly appreciated. You all are awesome, and thank you for reading my story!**

Percy limped over to the ruins of the Big House and sat down on the ash and burned wood. He saw the sun starting to rise, turning the sky orange and blue. The wind that was formerly blowing through the forest was now a sea breeze. Thalia and a few medics came towards him to heal his injuries over the next few minutes, but Percy waved them off. He felt numb, and felt like he needed to feel something, even if it was pain. He also knew he wouldn't feel right if he was at perfect health and that there were campers and Cyclopes who were dead because of him.

He pulled his knees up to his chest, pushed his knees down a bit, and threw his arms around his knees. He watched the sunrise and thought of Apollo. After a few minutes, he heard footsteps behind him. Tyson, now human-sized, stood right in front of Percy with a small smile. "Percy is safe?" Percy raised his eyebrows to look at his brother, and though he was happy to see him, he felt miserable inside. He nodded slightly and Tyson stood there for a couple more seconds.

Tyson frowned. "Percy is safe, but Percy is not okay." Percy kept his eyes on the sunrise. Tyson thought for a bit. "This not Percy's fault. This pretty girl's fault. Percy did his best."

Percy knew the big guy was trying to make him feel better, and he nodded. "Thanks, big man."

Tyson nodded and began to trudge off. Percy heard the footsteps stop behind him, and unless Tyson took off flying, he was waiting behind him. He heard Tyson say one last thing.

"Annabeth is bad now. Percy stop her. Like Percy stop Luke. Like Percy stop earth lady. Think Cyrene. Sally. Paul. Camp. You. Save those people. Percy can. Percy must."

The footsteps resumed and Percy turned to thank Tyson for the advice, but he was too far away. Percy thought that Tyson had a point; Annabeth _is_ bad now. No matter what the motivation is, she's been pulling strings for years, working as a double agent for someone. And it has all started to come to a climax, with Annabeth taking Cyrene.

Percy sat there for thinking about that for about twenty more minutes before the next person came up. By this time, the sun was up in the sky and Percy was looking to the side of it to avoid some scorched eyes.

"How're you feeling?" Jason took a seat beside him. Percy shook his head. "I feel pretty terrible," Percy admitted. "And I feel like a bad leader."

Jason sighed and looked out to the sunrise with Percy. "I'm sorry for everything you've had to go through lately. I can't imagine what that's like. I mean, I can imagine what the missing sister thing is like, but I can't imagine Piper betraying me like that."

Percy turned to Jason. Annabeth had told him that Jason and Piper had one of those movie romances. "If Piper had betrayed you, what would you do? How would you feel? Every time I see Annabeth on the battlefield, I freeze up. When I'm away from her, I make all these promises about how I'm going to kill her and stop this once and for all, as if I'm training with Lupa again. Then I see her and her eyes paralyze me in place. I think of every good thing she's ever done and my brain starts to irrationally come up with all these reasons as to why she's doing this. And it almost convinces me that maybe I can save her."

Jason thought for a few minutes. "The Romans did not have any mercy to spare for traitors. Every traitor who stepped foot on Camp Jupiter's grounds knew that they were on a straight path to death."

Percy looked at Jason in disbelief. "You would kill Piper?"

Jason shook his head. "I never said I would do so. I'm just saying what Camp Jupiter would do. But that's not where we are, is it?"

Percy sighed. "I guess not."

Jason turned towards Percy, and the breeze seemed to blow right in between them. "But if it's a decision between Annabeth and Cyrene, who do you pick?"

"Cyrene," Percy answered immediately. Jason nodded as if he expected the answer. "You have your priorities in line. Just make sure your logical priorities govern your behavior, not your emotions. There's a time and place for emotions-"

Jason stood up and patted Percy on the shoulder. "-and it's not on the battlefield. Let me know if you need anything at all."

Percy sighed and kept his eyes trained on the sky. The sun reflected off the dew in the grass, making it look like glowing drops of water on the ground.

He heard footsteps and Percy hung his head in his arms. He smelled a familiar scent; Piper McLean, the daughter of Aphrodite came up behind him and put her hands on Percy's head. She rested her chin on her hands and sighed.

"Jason told you to kill Annabeth, didn't he?"

Percy took his head out of his arms, but Piper kept her chin on his head. "Indirectly…I think. I'm not sure."

Piper chuckled. "You know, when I first arrived at Camp Half-Blood, you were still missing. _Everyone_ was panicking over Percy Jackson; I thought you were a celebrity. But I didn't think much of it because at that time, I was distraught. My relationship with Jason was just this huge fabrication. I was so sad, but Annabeth comforted me. I remember thinking that she would have made a pretty cool friend in more peaceful times and I even prayed to the gods that Athena would claim me so she and I would be sisters. Even still, I hoped that she could still be that for me; sisters. Hazel and I were bawling our eyes out when you and she were in Tartarus. We thought she'd never come back."

Percy laughed a bit, but the breeze had turned colder as he thought about their time in Tartarus. "Yeah, that's not a time I would want to relive."

He could feel Piper smile. "I looked up to her. She was strong and fearless, and tough, all while still finding room to love. She loved you, Percy. Or loves you. Her spirit was broken when you were gone all that time; she thought you had left her at first. When she realized that you were taken, no force on this planet could have stopped her from finding you. She scared Jason and Leo out their socks."

Percy wanted to turn to her, but she seemed so comfortable with her chin on his head that he only shifted his gaze upward. She was like a cat who has decided to sleep on the crook of its owner's neck for the night; the owner is stuck until the cat moves. "Why are you telling me this?"

Piper took a few seconds before answering. "Annabeth's not a bad person, Percy. At least I don't think so. There's still some good in her, but it just might be mixed up in a lot of bad right now. You're not Jason, nor are you Roman. You're not even Greek, technically. You're just a guy. Percy Jackson. Follow your heart. Also, Cyrene is the cutest thing I've ever seen."

Percy didn't expect it, but a laugh escaped his mouth. Piper giggled with him, and Percy full out laughed, the first time he had done that in a while. Piper hugged his neck and walked away. Percy sighed. How people with such opposite approaches to problems can make such a great couple was a mystery to him. However, he and Annabeth had a good run, so he figures he shouldn't question it.

After about fifteen minutes, the breeze blew a leaf towards Percy. It landed about three feet from him, then began to ride the wind again. Percy snatched it out of the air before it could blow past him and he looked at it. It was green and new, with a few drops of dew on it. Percy turned it around and saw writing on it. It said, _Look up._

Percy did so and almost fell over. Festus was floating over him, and landed in front of him. Percy didn't know how he didn't spot him or sense him, it's almost like the dragon appeared out of nowhere. The wind that was produced almost blew Percy over to the Argo III. Once Festus hit the ground, a figure slid off his head and ran up to him. Percy looked at Leo as he headed towards Percy. "Wasn't that cool?! This thing has a stealth setting. I was curious to see if you'd hear it."

Leo had grown over the months; he was a few inches taller and his body was now a leaned muscular instead of skinny. His skin was a bit tanned and his hair was bigger and curlier. Leo's features had angled and sharpened just a little bit, giving him a more matured look. He leapt over and sat in front of Percy.

Percy would've smiled in better times. Leo was such a national treasure and an endless source of good vibes that Percy wished he would have that one day. Except when he accidentally fires on the Roman camp during the camps' first meeting. Leo tilted his head at Percy. "We'll find Nico, man. I will make sure of it. People in the Argo III have mostly stopped crying. A few of them have gone to sleep, which I think that I'm about to do in a little bit; I've been up all night. And by the way, I'm sorry about Annabeth, man. That sucks."

Percy nodded towards Leo. "Thanks, man."

Leo seemed to not hear Percy as he continued. "Yo, she always scared me a little bit, man. Those gray eyes always seemed like they looked straight through me. It's almost like she knew about my past and my fire abilities without me telling her. I knew she was hiding something because a few times, this look would flash over her face like a caged animal, but she would mask it quickly. I knew that look because I feel it on myself all the time, trying to hide the multiple burns I've suffered throughout life."

Percy nodded glumly. "You're telling me you've always seen that she was evil."

"Mm…" Leo picked a straw of grass and put it between his teeth. "…no…I don't know what I'm saying. Despite all that, Annabeth is too smart to be manipulated like a pawn in a chess game, or a piece of a machine. She's the one who comes up with the blueprints for the machine. Thalia and Grover had mentioned how she may be working for someone, but I don't think it's that simple. Regardless, she knows Morse Code."

Percy looked at Leo. He stared back. "I've never met a bad person who was able to communicate in Morse Code."

Percy raised an eyebrow as Leo's face melted into a smile. The piece of grass stuck out like he was a country boy. Percy fought the urge to smile and sighed. "How are you and Calypso?"

Leo fell back spread-eagle on the ground. "MAN! She is everything I wanted and more, and Perce, she is _mas caliente que mi_."

Percy blinked. "I don't speak Italian."

Leo laughed on the ground. "I don't know if you're joking or not. But it's Spanish, _pendejo_. It means that she's _hotter than me_ , pun intended. You know I used to be jealous of both you and Jason? I wanted to be you two."

Percy felt like laughing. Someone wanting to be him? Not in a million years.

Leo sat up, with grass and sticks in his hair. "You all had spectacular powers and beautiful girlfriends, and popular parents, and good looks…you all have it all."

Percy shook his head. "Leo, you don't understand…I envy you."

Leo's smile changed to shock. Percy nodded. "Dude, you have one of the nicest, most beautiful girls in existence. You fly a metal dragon, you have your own personal flying ship, and you have can literally yell flame on and catch on fire."

Leo's grass piece fell out his mouth. "Seriously, man?"

Percy nodded. "Yeah, man. And you're on the path to keep growing and thriving. And I'd like to be by your side as it happens. If you're up for it?"

Leo grinned and dapped Percy up. "Well, of course, _mi amigo!_ But if you'll excuse me, I… am about to go knock out." Leo threw up the peace sign and jogged towards the Argo III. Festus curled up in a huge dragon ball to get ready to sleep on the grass, but Leo whistled. "AYE! UH-UH. Come on! Right here!"

If mechanical dragons with soul could sigh, Festus did so. He stood up slowly and dragged its feet towards the Argo III to go sleep in its room. Percy felt twelve years old again and shook his head in disbelief.

"Flying metal dragons, the Human Torch…How did I get here?" he muttered to himself.

After about ten minutes, Percy suddenly smelled a juniper bush. He knew what it smelled like because he's been around Grover's fiancé multiple times. He looked to his right and saw a bush just chilling there. Percy made a face; that bush wasn't there before. He sighed. "Hi, Juniper."

Juniper hopped out the bush and smiled at him. Percy just thought about her arguing with Grover and thought back to her also causing a Panic. He was suddenly uncomfortable. "Hi, Percy. Look, I just want to tell you one thing."

Percy raised an eyebrow. "What's up?"

Juniper took a deep breath. "Annabeth has comforted me several times; when Grover was being bullied by those insufferable Council of Cloven Elders-"

"Isn't Grover part of that Council now?"

"Not the point! Anyway, she comforted me when he was being bullied by them and when I thought that he was seeing someone else. I will always remember Annabeth saying that Grover would not even look at another tree. I always appreciated her for that. But Annabeth is not the one for you if she ever purposely hurts you. That's what I believe. And she has lied and crept around your back for a long time now; and there's something about her that reminded me of Luke."

Percy looked at the ground. "Not helping, Juniper."

Juniper covered her mouth and her words started to flow out of her mouth quicker. "Eep! Sorry! Look, I'm just saying that even if Annabeth was being ordered around or in trouble with somebody more powerful than her, someone who truly loves someone would…would…"

Juniper took a deep breath and put her chin out confidently. "They would rather die than hurt the one they love. That's how I feel towards Grover."

"She's right, you know." Percy turned and saw Calypso come up on the other side of him.

Juniper saw her and squealed. "Yikes! It's the one who was on the machine guns!" She hopped into the bush and disappeared, taking the whole bush with her in a _poof_ of green mist.

Calypso had changed into some joggers and an orange t-shirt that seemed a bit big for her. The sunlight seemed to catch on her hair, giving it a golden luminescence. It was starting to get warm outside. She had her hands in her pockets and she looked at Percy. He started to turn red again, and figured that he needed to set this straight once and for all.

"First off-"

"First off-"

Both Percy and Calypso stopped talking; they had started to talk at the same time. Percy beckoned her to go first, bracing himself for an attack. She took a breath. "First off, I am sorry, Percy. I'm sorry for being, as Leo says, a sore loser and for cursing Annabeth. I always thought it was like how you humans curse; it's a word or a collection of words just like other words, but it just has a hostile meaning to it. However, Leo had told me that you all fell into Tartarus together and the curses started to take shape and…I…I'm sorry for any trouble I may have caused. Please forgive me."

Calypso looked away and sniffled. Percy couldn't believe this was happening. "You're sorry? Calypso, I have been a terrible friend to you. I wanted to apologize. I should've made sure the gods freed you from Ogygia. I told them that I wanted them to do it, but they either forgot or skipped over it, or something."

Calypso gave a small, teary smile that took Percy right back to Ogygia. "Percy, you believe that something slipped the gods' minds? They are deities, Percy. They just didn't want to set me free. And who am I to blame them; I am Titan spawn. A reminder of their worst days."

Percy shook his head. "No. They should've followed through on their promise. Will you forgive me for being a bad friend?"

Calypso tilted her head. "Will you forgive me for putting curses upon your Annabeth?"

Percy frowned. "No, you didn't do anything wro-"

"Will you forgive me?" Calypso maintained eye contact with Percy and her teary eyes broke his heart. He nodded. "Yeah, I forgive you."

She gave a small smile in return. "Good. And I have already forgiven you."

Calypso laughed when she saw Percy's face. "Percy, Juniper is right. Your love is pure and you deserve better. However complicated this situation with your Annabeth is; you do not have to forgive her. You do not have to do what other people want you to do. Just remember that you are a gift. And if someone throws away the gift, for whatever reason, their actions have made it evident that they did not want to have the gift. So would you give that person the same gift a day later?"

Percy trained his eyes on the leaf that Leo had blown to him. He was used to thinking of himself as not deserving Annabeth, but thinking the other way around was a foreign concept to him. He wasn't sure if he liked thinking of himself as a "gift" though…he pictured himself trapped in a human-sized box that had wrapping paper and a bow on it with a sign saying, _To monsters!_

Calypso took something out of her pocket. It was a bracelet that seemed to be made of otherworldly materials and metals. On the bracelet was a one small petal that glowed white. She held it up to Percy. "I made this for you. When I heard what Annabeth had done to you, I wanted to give this to you. The petal on this bracelet is from one of the flowers that you helped me plant when you were on my island. It is called a _croiya rose_. If you have it on your person, it will glow the color of the emotion you are feeling at that moment."

Calypso handed Percy the bracelet, and he put it on. It was miraculously lightweight, to have so much on it. Immediately, the petal began to glow a deep violet. Percy's eyes widened and the petal began to glow a bright yellow. Calypso smiled at him. "Yellow means you are excited, or happy. A deep violet means you are experiencing heartache. The rest of the colors, I believe you can figure out yourself. Percy, you were a blessing when you were on my island. You were funny, helpful, pure of heart, brave, and cute. However, now that I'm off the island, I'm not sure if I loved you because the gods wanted me to, if I loved you because you showed up on the island, or because I loved you of my own volition. Regardless, Leo saved me from my prison and I fell in love with him away from the confines of my island, of my own free will. But I will never forget you, Percy. You brought me happiness in the short time you were with me. Whenever you look at that petal, remember what you bring to the garden."

Calypso began to walk away. The petal on the bracelet glowed a strong blue. Percy thought it was still weird that she was in casual human clothes and on Camp Half-Blood soil. He heard Calypso call back, "And to think you left me for her!"

It could've easily been taken as an insult. But the playfulness in her tone matched with the smile she shot him when Percy turned back made him laugh. The petal glowed yellow.

Percy sat there for a few minutes and sighed. He really did have some pretty awesome friends. He smelled someone approach him and Percy rolled his eyes. It was like these people had a line to talk to him. He turned and saw the same kid he saw some days ago, the one with the coffee brown skin and the cool Jordans. He didn't have those on anymore, though, he had on some small battle boots. He smelled like cologne that was too mature for his age. The kid hesitated when Percy saw him, then jogged up to him.

"Hey…Percy!" He started to take sudden interest in the ground and Percy could feel the heat coming off him. He was nervous.

Percy grinned and his petal glowed yellow. "What's up, man?"

When the kid saw Percy's smile, he straightened up a bit. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. "So, I've been a huge fan of you. I know you haven't really been at Camp, but I hear stories. I really like the story about the Minotaur, because you were close to my age when it had happened. It gave me strength that I could make my mark in this really big world of monsters…and gods, and immortals, and Romans, and mythological creatures. But when I met you in person, you were so nice and so awesome, and…this is for you."

Percy unfolded the piece of paper and saw a drawing. It was a picture of Percy leading the campers into battle. It was good, especially for someone who was only thirteen. Percy could see the detail in his face and the Wolf in his eyes; he looked almost animalistic. He saw the kid drew him with fangs as well to go along with the Wolf look. Rachel would've been jealous.

Percy looked up. "Thanks, man. What's your name?"

The kid gave Percy a wolfish grin. "Kofi. It's Ghanaian for 'Born on a Tuesday.'"

He pronounced it like _coffee,_ but with a strong _o._ Percy thought that was a cool name. "What day were you born?"

"A Tuesday," the kid laughed. Percy grinned and looked at the picture again. Percy was holding Riptide up in his left hand, but his right hand was holding Thalia's hand. Thalia's eyes actually had lightning going through them and the kid had drew them as the same height.

Percy pointed at the drawing. "Am I holding hands with Thalia in this picture?"

Kofi's grin widened. "Yeah, she's really pretty. Catch you later! Hope your mom lets you spend some more time at Camp!" Kofi spun on his heel and jogged away.

His mom…

Oh, gods.

Percy realized that his cell phone was left at Camp Jupiter because he had left in such a hurry. And he couldn't Iris-Message her, meaning that his mom hasn't heard from him in some days. To her, both her children may be missing. Percy quickly stood up. "Hey, Kofi!"

Kofi stopped jogging and turned towards Percy, his face scrunched up since he was looking directly into the sun. "Yeah?"

Percy blushed a bit. "Mind if I use your phone for a bit?"

Kofi jogged back and gave his phone to Percy. "Tell her I said hi!" He grinned and jogged away again. Percy silently thanked him and dialed his mother's number. He wasn't sure whether or not she would pick up this early in the morning, but she picked up once the first ring was halfway done with.

"Hello?! Percy?"

"Hi, Mom."

"OH MY-"

The curse words that his mother put together would've made Cyrene cry. He endured it all though, and she ended with a "Thank the gods you're okay. Tell me what happened."

The story spilled out of Percy as if he was seven again, telling his mommy about the mean kids in school. Percy gave her every detail and left nothing out, even ignoring the "Oh, Percy," when he told her about the Thalia in the bath stuff. Once he finished, Percy was panting.

He closed his eyes and felt the sunlight bathe his face in warmth. "What should do?"

His mother sighed. "Well, you need to get my baby girl back, that's what you need to do. But I'm not panicking as much because I know that if my son is on the case, he's going to make everything right."

Percy ran fingers through his hair. "Aw, Ma…"

"Don't _aw, ma_ me. I know this must hurt for you, but remember. Cyrene needs you. She is my priority and I know she's yours. Regarding the whole Annabeth stuff, she was a good girl. I had a good feeling about her. But if she really did take my Cyrene, she is an enemy of the Blofis household, which means no more cookies for her."

Percy's blood went cold. Annabeth was really ex-communicated if she received that sentence. His mother continued. "I'm not in this world of yours, though. It's filled with all twists and turns and betrayals and love. If I know anything, though, it's that you have a good heart and you need to follow it."

Percy kicked the leaf on the ground. The petal on his wrist turned a deep violet. "But personal loyalty is my fatal flaw, Mom."

"Then don't die. Or I will come to the Underworld, grab you by the ear and pull you back to the world of the living _and_ no more cookies for you. Get some sleep, Percy. You sound like you have bags under your eyes."

Percy was unsure of how his mother knew that, but she was right. Percy could feel his tiredness and decided to head back to the Argo III.

Before his mom hung up the phone, Percy said, "Oh, and Kofi says hi."

"Who's Kofi?"

"The kid who's phone I'm using."

"Tell him I said he has a beautiful name and that he earned a free batch of cookies."

The petal burned yellow, then a pale white. Percy felt that it was 8:00 in the morning, and Percy had gotten less than one hour of sleep. He entered in the Argo and went into the room he had changed into his battle gear in. The room was large, about the size of a basketball court. There were twin-sized beds arranged expertly to fit in the room. The beds had white pillows and white sheets with red trim, as if Leo knew that most people staying there might be dealing with blood.

Percy changed his clothes, throwing on an orange Camp shirt and a pair of shorts. He crashed one of the beds and his body was so tired that it hurt to lay down. Every time he closed his eyes though, he saw another corpse, another death, another camper's life lost because of him. He smelled Christmas in the room and saw Thalia asleep in the corner room. He craned his neck to see if Grover was there, but he wasn't; he was probably with Juniper. Percy sighed and lay on his back. He kept his eyes opened as the sunlight poured through so he wouldn't see another death. Percy heard a voice that made him nearly jump out of his skin.

"Get over here, Aquaman." Thalia's voice sounded sleepy and lazy, but she scooted over in her bed while keeping her eyes closed. She reached up towards the wall she was against and pressed a black button that closed the windows and made it dark in the room. Percy looked at her for a second, then got up and headed towards her bed. He slowly slid into the space she left him. The bed was warm, homey, and smelled even more like Christmas. Thalia took his arm, put it around her, then lay on his chest. Percy started to blush, but Thalia started to hum. It was a sad song, but was a catchy tune, like something out of a Disney animated movie. His petal glowed a light blue, providing a small nightlight. Percy started to feel tired, and when he closed his eyes, he dreamt of Christmas.


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or any related characters! Please, please, PLEASE review if you read; all feedback is greatly appreciated. You all are awesome, and thank you for reading my story!**

Percy woke to the sounds of screams and cheers. Mature sunlight was now seeping through the window shields. He was alone in bed; Thalia must have woken up and headed out early. His internal radar told him it was about 1:00 p.m. Percy rolled out of bed and went to do the essentials, all provided by Leo's Argo III services. He kept his orange T-shirt on, but threw on a pair of sweatpants before he jogged out of the ship. Once he was outside, Percy had to blink twice to make sure he was really seeing this.

Camp Half-Blood was restored. The Big House loomed in its former glory. The cabins were restored, as if they had never been blown up by Greek Fire. The arena, the armory, and the Mess Hall were all standing tall again. Percy wondered if the past couple days was a huge dream. That thought was pushed to the side when he saw the water still surrounding all of Camp. However, the body of water had been changed so it had shores, birds, and magical rafts tethered to the boundaries of Camp Half-Blood. From a distance, Percy was sure that the Camp looked like a paradise. Percy's attention drew to the volleyball courts, where a large crowd of people had gathered. Percy jogged over there and stood next to Thalia, Grover, and Juniper over to the side. He saw campers hugging one another, and other campers were crying and laughing.

Percy was having trouble interpreting what was going on. Grover leaned over and whispered, "All the campers and Cyclopes who had fallen in the battle were resurrected. Everyone's come back to life and Camp has been restored." Percy's blood went cold. Did this mean that Thanatos was chained up again? Did Annabeth manage to do that once more? A collective gasp from the crowd turned Percy's attention to where they were looking at. Standing in the lake that ran through the center of camp was a man with a Hawaiian-print shirt on. He had his hands in the pockets of blue khaki shorts, and was knee deep in the rushing water. He had gray-ish stubble, but still clean-cut black hair. He had sea green eyes and a kindly smile.

Poseidon, Lord of the Seas, has arrived at Camp Half-Blood.

Everyone began to kneel, including Thalia and Grover. Percy swallowed and sank to one knee. He wasn't sure if his father was going to be happy or disappointed with Percy. He hadn't talked to his father in months, ever since he tried to live a life of retirement. When Poseidon heard the news, he had decided to keep a safe distance away, a sentiment Percy now understood. He stared at the ground, but his heart took a leap when he heard, "PERCY! GET OVER HERE, MY BOY!"

Percy sprinted like a track star into the rushing water and hugged his father as the two of them laughed together. Poseidon smelled like a cool sea breeze and his hug was firm. Percy heard the other campers slowly get up from their knees as they watched them in the water. Poseidon pulled back and looked at his son, unable to contain a smile as he drank in the sight. "My full-grown son. My SON!" Poseidon pulled Percy in another hug that reminded him of Tyson's attacks.

Chiron clopped to the front of the group. "Lord Poseidon. What brings you here today, and what is all of this, if you don't mind me asking?"

Poseidon put Percy down and advanced towards Chiron. "A gift from the gods. Once we saw who was responsible for everything…well, we knew that we couldn't intervene in the affairs of demigods too much. But Zeus did give us permission to rebuild the Camp that is responsible for training our children into becoming-" Poseidon turned to Percy. "-strapping young men and women."

Percy blushed, but saw Thalia look away with a scowl on her face. Poseidon put his arms out and basked in the sunlight, turning around in a circle. "So, we used some of our power to restore this wonderful place. Once Percy…changed the structure of the earth around the Camp, we used more of our powers to turn it into a true island. Camp Half-Blood is now surrounded by water."

Poseidon pointed towards the corner of the Long Island Sound behind the climbing wall. "From there, all the way to there," he pointed to the corner of Zephynos Creek, "is water that expands two hundred feet out towards the forest. Anyone who is a demigod or is allowed through by Chiron will be sent magical rafts that will pick them up and take them safely to the camp."

A lot of _oohs_ and _ahhs_ reverberated through the crowd.

Poseidon continued. "Hades also was quite irritated with the surge of demigods that came down to Hades. As a reward and an incentive to keep surviving, Hades has brought back all of those who have died in the last battle you all had." There were some hugs and tears in the crowd once more.

Poseidon swept the crowd. "Thalia Grace!"

Thalia looked up and stepped forward. She eyed Poseidon carefully. "Yes, Lord Poseidon?"

Poseidon looked at Thalia ominously and Percy was afraid that he was going to give her some bad news. Instead, Poseidon broke into a smile and boomed, "Zeus is very proud of you as well! He can't stop talking about you and your brother. _Thalia this, Jason that,_ all day long. Very good work, you two. You've made him as proud of you all as he's been of any of his children."

Both Jason and Thalia blushed and thanked Poseidon embarrassingly. Piper grinned and rubbed Jason's arm encouragingly. Poseidon trained his attention on Percy. "Now, son…it's time that we took a little walk."

Poseidon and Percy walked through the lake, towards the cabins. Percy was curious of one thing. "Dad, did Zeus actually say that about Thalia and Jason?"

Poseidon cocked an eyebrow. "Of course not. He's much proud to actually say it out loud."

Percy had a bad taste in his mouth. "Oh. Then why did you say it?"

Poseidon kept his eyes forward. He always seemed to be a full head taller than Percy. "Because I saw the look on your friend's face when I had shown you my appreciation. Thalia is a gift to this mortal world; she uses all her skills to selflessly help as many people as she can. Jason helped defeat Gaea and led Camp Jupiter, for our sakes. Both of them deserve the appreciation, and frankly, _I'm_ proud of them as their godly uncle."

Poseidon grinned and Percy smiled in response. He hoped to be like Poseidon one day, and he could see why my mother was attracted to him. Or why Poseidon was attracted to his mother. Or both. They walked past the cabins and towards the Mess Hall.

Percy looked at his father. "Do you have any advice about this whole situation? It's pretty crazy."

Poseidon nodded thoughtfully. "Yes, the whole situation is quite crazy. I believe that Annabeth is wrapped up in some sinister things, but I can't say much more. She was the queen of your heart, but now you are unsure of where she stands?"

Percy nodded. "Yeah, I have some people telling me that there's still good in her, and others telling me to kill her, and…I honestly don't know what to think."

Poseidon sighed. "Percy, she stole Cyrene away from you and ruined your shot at retirement. She attempted to kill your comrades and has kidnapped Nico. She also killed Iris," Poseidon stopped to look at Percy. "And that is not something that can be forgiven. I will never forgive her, your mother will never forgive her, and the Camp will never forgive her. Your main focus should be saving your sister, whatever it takes."

Percy nodded; Cyrene was always in the back of his mind since she was born. Poseidon continued to walk and his strides forced Percy to increase his. "How do I get past these feelings so I can stop her? I don't even know why she's doing this. She's been causing me all this despair recently, and I've been lucky that Thalia's been there for me. She's been the rainbow in this storm and without her, I don't know-'

"The rainbow in your storm?" Poseidon tried to suppress a smile.

Percy noticed it and frowned. "What?"

The god of the seas shook his head and put up his hands in mock retreat. "Nothing. I said nothing."

They reached the Fireworks Beach and Percy couldn't help but think of the time that he had gone to the fireworks with Annabeth. It was a pretty great time. Poseidon stared off at the Long Island Sound and took a breath, which Percy thought was weird because gods don't need oxygen. "Iris would like to talk with you."

Percy did a double take. "Iris? Really?"

Poseidon nodded and trained his eyes on Percy. "If you're up for it, she would like to give you an offer."

Percy nodded his head. "Yeah. I still feel guilty about her death, so by all means."

Poseidon turned back to the Sound and a column of water erupted from the sea. It swirled over to them and engulfed Percy. Percy was now standing on the sand, with water swirling around him like a tornado. Poseidon exhaled and the water exploded into mist and bubbles. It was one of the most beautiful sights Percy has ever seen; mist felt amazing on his skin and face while the bubbles had rainbow colored reflections on them. The mist began to swirl around once more, and the bubbles began to do so as well. They began to swirl so fast that Percy couldn't see Poseidon only more, just a swirl of rainbow colors and bubbles.

When the mist slowed, it fell away like regular mist, and Percy wasn't at the Long Island Sound any more. He was on a cloud in the sky. The sun was much larger now, shining golden light straight onto Percy. He should've been in pain or burnt up how high up he was, but it just felt warm and positively lovely. Percy looked and saw two rainbows on either side of the sun. The rainbows and the sun cast a white-golden glow over all the clouds, and he saw a figure approach from the clouds. The figure was flying down from the sun on a cloud, making a beeline straight for Percy. Once the figure got closer, he saw it was a woman with olive-colored skin, long black hair, and warm brown eyes that reminded Percy of his mother and Cyrene. She had a golden glow around her body, and her eyes would reflect a rainbow every so often. He recognized her as Iris, the Goddess of the Rainbow.

She smiled at him. "Percy. Thank you so much for everything you've done for me. You have created a shrine for me, one that each cohort in Camp Jupiter has already visited. You have investigated and found the culprit in my death."

Percy stared at her and was floored that she gave off the same vibe as his mother. "Yeah, no problem. Question, though, what happens when a god dies?"

Iris pursed her lips and smiled. "You know, Perseus, I am not entirely sure myself. I am currently everywhere and nowhere, I exist, but by the conventional laws of physics and matter, I do not exist. I suppose a god's energy simply disperses out into the world, allowing them to simultaneously be dead, but exist as well. Does that make sense?"

"Complete sense," Percy lied.

"Good. In return for your respectful behavior, I offer you something."

Percy paid attention as Iris snaps her fingers. She and Percy were suddenly in a very old room filled with cobwebs and dust. Even in the daylight, it looked creepy. Nico was in his bonds, asleep in the corner of the room. Percy saw Annabeth and Cyrene asleep in a very dusty mattress. He immediately became worried for Cyrene's health, but Cyrene was encased in her Egyptian spell of protection. Percy's heart skipped watching the two of them. Minus the disgusting room, that was what Percy wanted with Annabeth one day; her and a beautiful child.

Iris turned towards Percy. "She is having a dreamless sleep at the moment, which has been rare over the past years. If you want, as payment for respecting Fleecy and I, you may speak to her through a dream."

Percy was floored. "I can talk to her?"

Iris nodded once. "If you would like, I can give you one last Iris-message, courtesy of Iris herself. Dream selves are much purer and much more honest than physical bodies, so the conversation will be as straightforward as you would like it to be. You will not be able to fight one another through a dream, though, so if you say yes, you will be transported to a higher spiritual plane where you all can converse. The setting of the conversation will depend on the shifting focus of you all's mind. Is that something that you would like?"

Percy nodded almost immediately. He suddenly realized that Annabeth has not said a word to him since she had gone missing weeks ago, a fact that ate away at Percy almost every second of the day. Having this opportunity to talk with her could be good. He could find out why she's doing this, and how he can help her if possible.

Iris's eyes flashed. "Be warned, Perseus, you may find that she is not the woman you think she is. And if she is not, or you are done with the conversation, all you have to do is wink, and I'll be there to whisk you out of her dream. Do you accept these terms and conditions?"

Percy exhaled. "I do."

Iris nodded. "Then let's begin."

A flash of rainbow light appeared and Percy was sitting on his bed at he and his mother's apartment. He smelled his mother's chocolate-chip cookies. It was nighttime at this moment. The sounds of New York sounded through the window; honking horns, people screaming, engines running and the sounds of animals. He looked around and his room was the same exact set-up the night before he had planned to leave for New Rome.

Percy's swept towards the doorway and saw Annabeth standing there, looking at him. 


	16. Chapter 16

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or any related characters! Please, please, PLEASE review if you read; all feedback is greatly appreciated. You all are awesome, and thank you for reading my story!**

Percy stared at Annabeth as she stood in the doorway. She sniffed, and her eyes looked red from crying. She was wearing her orange Camp Half-Blood shirt and a pair of blue jeans, which Percy thought was odd for her to wear considering all the destruction she's done. She moved over to Percy and sat next to him on the bed, her feet swinging off the same side of the bed that Percy was on.

Percy was frozen. He had wanted this opportunity, but now that she was right in front of him, he forgot what to say. So many things were rushing through his head that all that came out was, "Hi."

Annabeth took a shaky exhale and looked at Percy. "Hi, Seaweed Brain."

The nickname felt weird for him to hear. It just brought back all the memories they'd had together, but it also made him think of how much of it was just another trick. It brought him to his baby sister, Cyrene, and he felt steel in his veins. He stared in her gray eyes, the eyes that he had seen so many times, the eyes that had brought him so much comfort but could also pick apart an opponent within seconds. "Annabeth…just…why? Why do all of this?"

Annabeth looked down, bit her lip and shook her head; she looked absolutely broken, which was a weird look for her. She usually looked strong, calculating, lithe, always ready for a challenge. "I don't know if you want to know."

Percy looked outside and saw that it was lightly drizzling over the section of New York that they were in. A rainbow shone brighter than it should've through the sky, as a reminder from Iris. He focused his attention back to Annabeth. "You're not Kronos and you're not Gaea. Your reason is probably not to rule the world. I need to know. It's the least that you can do after kidnapping my baby sister."

Annabeth looked at him, this time with more strength in her eyes. "I don't want to tell you because I don't want sympathy. I don't want you to hesitate to put Riptide straight through me when the time comes."

Percy's hands began to sweat. Annabeth was telling him to kill her…? He shook his head. "Tell me. NOW." His wolf stare had formed on his face, and Annabeth sighed. The dream location shifted to Annabeth's childhood home in California. They were sitting on the mattress in her old bedroom. Percy put his hands out for balance and looked around; it was scary how they just traveled across the nation like that. However, there was still a bright rainbow outside the window. Annabeth stood up and walked around the bed, staring at it for a second.

"I told myself that I would never hope that anyone else could save me from this, but out of all people, you can do it, Percy."

Percy felt like uncapping Riptide. His senses were telling him that something terrible was going to happen. All of a sudden, a young girl with big blonde hair and striking gray eyes bounded into the room and went straight for Percy. He went to defend himself, but she went right through him as if he was a ghost and snuggled in her bed. The girl looked to be about five years old. She was taking apart and putting together a model boat. She was scowling and was seemed to be annoyed by something.

"Stupid stepmother…stupid new siblings…we had a perfectly good home here."

Percy heard infants crying downstairs.

Dream Annabeth began to talk. "That was me at five years old. When Matthew and Bobby were first born to my father and…stepmother. I was sad, mad, and scared, like a lot of older children who get younger siblings. I had a happy life with just my father, but then he began to date. None of the women impressed him enough until my stepmother came along. She seemed to be as into weird facts and history as he was, even educating him on some topics. She also exuded power, which reminded my father of my mother. They started to date, married, and had kids. However, even though you told me you met the twins Matthew and Bobby…"

The scene shifted, and they were in the same room, but it looked older and more worn out. The sheets were wrinkled, the room had gotten messier, and a few things had seemed like had been replaced or renovated. Percy saw some small kids come through the door and his breath caught in his throat. There were _three_ Chase kids; two boys and a girl. They looked like identical triplets of about one year of age, who all looked like one another but not like Annabeth. Annabeth took after Athena more than she did her father. Even as young children, Percy recognized Matthew and Bobby, but not the girl that looked just like them. Young Annabeth came into the room with a homemade monster mask and trudged in, fake roaring. The triplets screamed and climbed straight through Percy and underneath the covers.

Time seemed to freeze, with Young Annabeth frozen in her monster pose and the three lumps under the bed frozen as well. Dream Annabeth continued. "They were actually triplets. Matthew, Bobby, and Jessica Chase. I told you that children of Athena have a fear of Arachne's children, the spiders? And you already know the story as to why Arachne and Athena didn't get along?"

Percy nodded. He recalled something about Arachne challenging Athena to a basket-weaving contest, something that was worthy of her fatal flaw, _hubris_. Dream Annabeth got up and looked out the window, beckoning Percy to join. He joined her and could even smell her hair in the dream; it smelled like cinnamon. She pointed out the window down to the rainy street, and a young Annabeth looked like she was coming home from school. She was walking across the sidewalk, but what was behind her made Percy almost choke. It was a harpy, flying after Young Annabeth and was prepared to grab her. She turned around right on time and slammed the harpy in the head with a rusty hammer.

Dream Annabeth sighed shakily. "Well…Arachne knew that I was a daughter of Athena by the time I was two or three. She claimed she could smell the pride coming off of me, and as a result, she sent countless monsters after me to get back at Athena. I would beat them all using my wits and some pointers from my mother, eventually becoming fond of a household hammer that I would use to defeat them."

Percy looked at her. He knew that she had a lot of monsters come after her in her childhood, but he always assumed that it was because she was a demigod, not that Athena's sworn enemy had a vendetta against her. Dream Annabeth looked back towards the room. "Now, I wish that I had succumbed to one of those monsters. They got bigger and deadlier as time went on. One day, she sent an empousai after me, trying to kill me in order to get back at Athena. However, the empousai caught a hammer to the head, and to the face. Some monsters would attack the house-"

Percy heard a huge boom that shook the entire house and he uncapped Riptide on instinct.

"-and some would attack me in my bedroom at night. But for every single monster I defeated, my stepmother would blame me, screaming at me that I'm a 'cursed child' and that I was endangering the family. The worst part about it? My father began to believe her. They both saw me as just a liability, a breathing, walking death sentence for the family."

Percy heard the screams of her stepmother and Young Annabeth crying downstairs. Dream Annabeth continued. "Eventually, Arachne either got tired or grew bored of me beating every monster she sent. I told you about the flood of spiders that came at night when I was little. What I didn't tell you was…that was the first time she had revealed herself to me."

Percy watched the sky turn to nighttime, but the night clouds still had a rainbow hue to them. Percy saw that behind him was Young Annabeth, sleeping in a bed. Dream Annabeth was standing in the corner, looking very pale. Percy got up and saw a spider crawl underneath her bedroom door. Then another one followed. Then another one. Then _hundreds_ of spiders, all different sizes and types crawled onto her bed and swarmed her. Young Annabeth thrashed and screamed, and some spiders went into her ears and mouth. Young Annabeth began to retch, all the while trying to get the spiders off her, out of her ears, away from her eyes, out of her hair. Annabeth's eyes widened at the sight of something in front of her. Percy's senses went haywire and he turned to see a sight that made him grip Riptide.

Standing there was a huge beast that reminded him of a centaur. The top half of its body looked like a semi-human woman with long black hair, completely black eyes, and fangs for teeth. Its arms and hands seemed to be furry claws. The bottom half of the beast was a huge spider, with legs as big as Young Annabeth herself. The beast's head went to the top of the ceiling and absolutely towered over the young girl.

Dream Annabeth continued in a tight voice. "This first day she showed herself to me, my heart was jumping out of my chest. Fear was the only thing that I felt, but I will never forget the only thing she told me that night," Arachne leaned towards Young Annabeth as spiders continued to torment her. Green saliva dripped from her mouth onto the girl's covered body.

" _You will be my champion, Athena-spawn."_

It spoke in a strangled hiss that even gave Percy chills. The dream changed so Arachne was gone, but Young Annabeth was still being tormented by spiders. She thrashed and contorted in desperation, but they still attacked her. Outside, Percy could see the sky change from day, to night, from day, to night.

Dream Annabeth spoke. "I refused to be her champion. And once a week, she would come back in my dreams and try to get me to serve her. I would refuse, and she would torment me with a flood of spiders. I would scream for my life, as loud as I could before the spiders could climb into my mouth. But every single time-"

Percy heard footsteps approach. The spiders crawled away, leaving Young Annabeth with a body full of gruesome bites.

"-my stepmother would come."

Young Annabeth was crying and bleeding on the bed. The bedroom door opened, and it was her stepmother, the Asian woman with the red hair. Her hair looked wild, and her face was of pure fury. "What is it NOW, Annabeth? More spiders come to attack you and only you in the nighttime?"

Young Annabeth leapt out her bed and went to show her stepmother the bites, but they were gone. Her stepmother shook her head and gave Young Annabeth a curt backhand and Annabeth fell to the floor. "You are waking up the triplets! I am tired of hearing all of these complaints about nightmares. You are the worst combination of crazy, retarded, and insane! GO BACK TO SLEEP," her stepmother screamed. Percy remembered meeting her stepmother in real life; she hadn't seemed quite this bad. It made Percy's head spin a bit.

Dream Annabeth shook her head in the shadows. "I hate the _r_ -word. I hate all of those words, in fact; they are some of the greatest insults to any child of Athena. But every night during the weeks that I would get attacked by spiders, I would scream. I couldn't help myself, I was only six. She would come, her eyes filled with anger. She would hit me, call me those names, and go back to sleep. The three nights before my seventh birthday, I was attacked by my worst fear three nights in a row."

The dream shifted so Young Annabeth was attacked by spiders again. It was hurting Percy's heart to see her suffer like this, and he wished he could do something to save her. He wished he could swing Riptide and just cleave through any of the spiders.

"Three nights in a row, Arachne came and told me to serve her. The first night, she told me that the torment would continue to come and more often the more I said no. But I still refused, and I was attacked by spiders until 3:00 in the morning. I had screamed at that time, gotten beat and cried myself to sleep. The second night, I refused Arachne, and refused to scream, soI was attacked all the way up until dawn, I felt their fur, their legs, and their bites all night long."

Percy looked solemnly at Young Annabeth writhing. He couldn't see how any kid could go through this and come out sane.

"On the last night before my seventh birthday, I saw her again." Percy flinched when Arachne was standing there again. Her mouth was drooling with the green saliva again. Percy saw it was 11:36 p.m.

"But this time, she was holding Jessica." Percy saw the entire room begin to flood with spiders, covering the walls, floors, windows, everything but the bed…yet. Arachne seethed and held up Jessica, who had the entire bottom half of her mouth covered in stringy, disgusting human-spider web. She was in some red and black flannel pajamas, and her legs were moving crazily, trying to reach the ground.

" _You will serve me, Athena-spawn. If you refuse again, your sister will die tonight."_

Young Annabeth kept her eyes on the spiders. "You…you will never get me to serve you. You're going to make me do cruel things and hurt people and do this to other kids…no. I won't. My mother will save me. My _real_ mother."

Arachne smiled. " _You mean Athena? Your faith in the gods is amusing. Watch if she stops this."_

Arachne took Jessica and sunk her teeth into Jessica's neck. Percy fought the urge to look away as Arachne began to devour Jessica alive. The sister's bloodcurling screams sounded through the room. Percy tore his eyes away and looked at Young Annabeth. Her face was pale, and her eyes looked broken. Then the screaming stopped, resulting in a haunting silence that made Percy almost prefer the screaming.

Young Annabeth scrambled out of her bed, and grabbed her favorite hammer off her desk. The monster now had human blood dripping from her mouth, and she had finished half of Jessica; the sister's torso and legs was all that was left. Young Annabeth charged, but Arachne backhanded her just as her stepmother did. Young Annabeth flew into the wall and made a dent. Spiders began to attack her as Arachne finished her meal.

" _You see, Annabeth, I am not one to say no to. You will submit."_ Arachne trudged out of the room, leaving Young Annabeth with the spiders. Percy thought it was over and Young Annabeth was going to be attacked by spiders all night, but Arachne came back into the room. Percy's blood went cold; she was holding Matthew and Bobby.

Young Annabeth saw and cried out a loose, throaty scream. "NO! NO, PLEASE!" Tears flowed down her face.

Arachne regarded Young Annabeth as the twins were thrashing, trying to get out of Arachne's grip. The lower halves of their face were also spun with disgusting webbing. " _You will serve me."_

Young Annabeth put her hands up. "I WILL. I WILL. Jessica, I'm so sorry…"

The spiders immediately stopped attacking her and Arachne scuttled over to Young Annabeth. " _You will what?"_

Young Annabeth stared Arachne down with blood and tears coming down her face; a soon to be seven-year-old girl staring down Arachne herself. "I will serve you."

Arachne hissed rhythmically, which might've been laughter. _"You will be my triumph over Athena. She has abandoned you to my hand. Swear on the River Styx, girl, swear that you will serve me and be my pawn. You will do anything I tell you to do."_

Young Annabeth was too focused on Matthew and Bobby, who had their eyes on Annabeth as tears flowed down their faces and into the webbing. Annabeth nodded furiously. "I swear! I swear on the River Styx! Now let them GO!"

Thunder sounded in the distance. The clock hit twelve; Young Annabeth was seven years old now. Arachne gave a fearsome, fanged smile and let Matthew and Bobby go, taking the webbing off their faces. The pair of now twins ran away, probably under the covers.

Percy thought that wasn't fair; Young Annabeth probably had no idea what a deal on the River Styx was, much less the repercussions that result if you break an oath like that. But Arachne wasn't playing fair; that was evident when she ate Annabeth's sister. Percy thought about how he would feel if he was seven years old and the Minotaur or some other monster had just ate Cyrene.

Arachne disappeared, as well as the spiders and their bites off Young Annabeth's body. She was crumpled on the floor next to the dent in the wall, sobbing and broken. Blood still stained her floor from her sister's gruesome death. Footsteps sounded and both Dr. Chase and Annabeth's stepmother flung open the door. Dr. Chase showed more concern than the stepmother and went to scoop up Young Annabeth. She fought him off and cradled herself. Tears flowed down her cheek. "She killed her. She killed and ate…Jessica. Jessica's dead, Dad, it's all my fault, and I'm sorry."

She crashed into him and her dad hugged her awkwardly, as if she was complaining in another language and he didn't know how to respond. Her stepmother stood in the doorway, made eye contact with Dr. Chase, and nodded. Dr. Chase nodded and pulled Annabeth away from the embrace. "Annabeth, sweetie, your mother has told me that you've been struggling with some pretty bad dreams. I'm sorry that you have had to deal with that."

Young Annabeth pushed her father away. "Dreams?! Dad, she killed Jessica! Your daughter!"

Dr. Chase swallowed. "Annabeth, we have never had anyone named Jessica in this family. Ever. It's just you, Matthew and Bobby."

Young Annabeth's eyes shook as she came to realize a lot of things. She backed away into the corner, and ran away. She grabbed her backpack and her hammer, sprinted through her stepmother's legs and into Matthew and Bobby's rooms. She woke them up and told them, "Come with me! You're in trouble! Come on!"

Matthew and Bobby stirred sleepily and smiled, then went back to sleep. Young Annabeth backed up again, realizing that she was on her own; Arachne had erased the memory of Jessica in the family and she was the only one who remembered her. Young Annabeth turned behind her and saw Arachne in her siblings' room, smiling. Young Annabeth was about to scream, but Arachne shot her with her weird human-spider webbing. She regarded Annabeth as if she was seeing how good the steak would taste tonight.

" _Go. Run away from here, and go east. I will be in touch. I have big plans for you, Annabeth Chase."_

Young Annabeth ran out the door, with nothing but flannel pajamas on. She tugged furiously at the webbing on her face, tearing it off as she ran. Percy watched through the window as she ran out the sidewalk and into the rain. She ignored Dr. Chase and her stepmother's yells, and sprinted into the night. She cried as she was on the move, holding only her backpack and her hammer.

Percy was speechless and turned to Dream Annabeth, who was still in the corner with her arms crossed. He couldn't believe she had gone through this and never told him. Dream Annabeth sighed. "Every single day on the run, I would be attacked by monsters, and every night on the run, Arachne would enter my dreams and replay her devouring Jessica. She would tell me to go somewhere, and I went, partly because I had agreed that I would do what she wanted and partly out of fear that she would attack Matthew and Bobby, or even my father. She warned me that something worse would happen if I said no to her because that meant I was violating the oath on the River Styx. And I believed her; she had eaten my sister."

The scene shifted to them at an outdoor bus stop; it was storming and wind blew sheets of rain through the streets. Young Annabeth was huddled in the corner of the covered bus stop in her same pajamas. They were ruined and ripped, and on the outside of the bust stop were some advertisements for a new McDonald's deal. Dream Annabeth and Percy were standing in the streets, looking right at Young Annabeth. The rain assaulted them as well, but Percy didn't feel like drying himself. Percy saw that the puddles around them had the rainbow-type colors they sometimes do; it was Iris' reminder that this was just a dream, and all he had to do is wink and he would be taken out.

Young Annabeth was shivering and rocking back and forth. Her teeth were chattering. Suddenly, she looked straight at Dream Annabeth and Percy with wide gray eyes. Percy blanched, but something went straight through them; a telkhine with an axe was running straight towards Young Annabeth. She scowled, gripped her hammer, and stood up.

The scene shifted and they were in a dark alley between red brick warehouses; and the sign above one of the doors said, _Richmond Ironworks_. On one of the houses was sprayed graffiti with what looked like all rainbow colors. Percy did a double take. Annabeth had somehow made it all the way to Virginia, attacked by monsters and tormented by Arachne. Percy saw a stack of old crates, and saw Young Annabeth dive behind a sheet of tin. She had her hammer ready and her eyes looked the same way Percy's Annabeth looked when she was in battle; like she was hunting. Percy and Dream Annabeth heard footsteps and saw Young Annabeth tighten her grip on the hammer. Percy saw two shadows, and one of them ripped away the tin. Young Annabeth flew at them with her hammer, swinging and trying to kill whatever it was.

"Woah!" A human hand grabbed Young Annabeth's wrist and twisted it so that her hammer went skittering across the cement. Young Annabeth thrashed like she was getting attacked by the spiders again.

"No more monsters! Go away!"

"It's okay!" Percy got a good look at her adversary and his throat went dry. Luke was standing there, except he looked to be about fourteen years old. This was the same vision that Hestia had shown him before the last fight against Kronos, telling him that he needed to understand Luke's past. They were at the point where Luke's past and Annabeth's past had converged. Percy saw a young Thalia holding her spear and her old shield, Aegis. She looked about twelve years old.

Luke turned to Thalia while holding Young Annabeth down. "Thalia, put your shield up. You're scaring her." Thalia tapped Aegis and it collapsed into a silver bracelet on her wrist. Her blue eyes seemed to glow even in the dream, and she looked so… _young_. He couldn't believe how more mature she was now.

She took on a soothing voice. "Hey, it's all right. We're not going to hurt you. I'm Thalia. This is Luke."

"Monsters!"

Percy couldn't blame Young Annabeth for thinking that; throughout his life, there were plenty of monsters that were able to disguise themselves as humans.

Luke looked in Young Annabeth's eyes. "No, but we know all about monsters. We fight them too."

Young Annabeth stopped kicking and studied Luke and Thalia.

Dream Annabeth stepped forward and the scene froze in time again. "I had been having a mental breakdown about all the monsters, but Luke and Thalia showed themselves to be demigods as well. I had avoided any and all potential allies because I believed that they would be killed because of me. It was at that point where I thought that I could escape Arachne's influence; maybe they could save me. They seemed to be strong. Arachne told me in my next dream to follow them because she was curious. I half-followed her because Arachne told me to and half-followed them because I hoped they could kill Arachne and I could be free."

Percy wished that he was there for Annabeth, to save her from this torture she was in. He took another look at Luke; he looked so pure and so young. He looked like he genuinely wanted to help Annabeth. Percy understood that to Annabeth, Luke was older, attractive, good with a sword, and provided a way to escape from her bind to Arachne. He studied Thalia frozen in time; her eyes were looking at Luke and he saw…love in her eyes? Can someone even love at twelve years old?

Percy felt irritated that he knew Luke would betray both girls one day. The scene shifted, and it was nighttime in a familiar forest. The moon was out, but it seemed to be the color of a rainbow. Young Annabeth, Luke, and Thalia were sleeping with their weapons, cuddled up against one another as they lay against a tree. Young Annabeth flinched and woke up in her sleep. She had wide eyes and was panting hard.

Dream Annabeth stepped forward. "Arachne had told me at that point to kill Thalia. She believed that Thalia was too much of a liability and that she needed to get rid of the threat as soon as possible. She wanted to keep Luke around though, because she figured he could have me manipulate him in the future. Thalia, conversely, was too headstrong and was not going to be as easy to trick. So, she told me to take her life."

Percy looked in terror as Young Annabeth gripped her new knife and stood over Thalia in the night. Percy noticed that the regular sounds of the wind and animals in the forest were now silent. Deathly silent. It reminded Percy of the silence after Jessica was eaten. Young Annabeth raised her knife, then hesitated. She stepped away from Thalia as a tear went down her cheek. She asked herself "What am I doing…"

Young Annabeth sheathed her knife and went about five feet away from Thalia. She sat cross-legged and watched Luke and Thalia sleep. Dream Annabeth narrated. "For the first time since my bedroom, I said no. I couldn't do it. I thought that I was turning too much into a monster like Arachne was. If I killed someone as a means to an end, how was I any better than her? I refused to do so, and I stayed up all that night, ready if Arachne came to take them. However…I had broken my oath on the River Styx. Which means that I had to pay."

The scene shifted to the three of them running on Half-Blood Hill. It was daytime, but the sky looked like it was going to start storming. Grover was running with them this time. They seemed to be running towards Camp Half-Blood. It reminded Percy of his first time facing off against the Minotaur. But this time, following them was all three Furies and an army of hellhounds. Percy's heart leapt into his throat. The hellhounds looked just like Mrs. O'Leary, but they were foaming at the mouth and barking. Dream Annabeth shook her head. "Because I refused to kill Thalia in her sleep one night…"

Thalia waved Young Annabeth and Luke to Camp Half-Blood. "GO! We didn't come all this way for every single one of us to die." Luke hesitated, but Thalia turned to look at him with lightning flashing in her eyes. "GO!"

Luke grabbed Young Annabeth's wrist and they ran towards Camp. Twelve-year old Thalia held her spear and gritted her teeth. "COME ON, YOU UGLY FOAM-MOUTHED DEMONS!" The Furies tried to fly past Thalia, but she slammed her spear on the ground, releasing a blast of lightning that pushed them back. Thalia began to fight her hardest, stabbing hellhounds, striking them with lightning, hitting them with her shield, etc. She managed to keep the monsters at bay long enough for Luke and Young Annabeth to cross the camp borders. When Thalia saw that, her face relaxed and she turned towards the re-assembling army of monsters.

She had a whisper of a smile on her face. "I've been waiting to try this." Lightning arced underneath Thalia's skin. Her eyes glowed lightning blue-white for a second. Thalia yelled and expended all of the energy within her body. Her body arced with lightning and produced a lightning explosion. The lightning extended and killed all the monsters on Half-Blood Hill. The monsters and the Furies were now dust. However, Thalia's body was smoking. She staggered, then fell over.

Thalia landed on her back, dead, on Half-Blood Hill.


	17. Chapter 17

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or any related characters! Please, please, PLEASE review if you read; all feedback is greatly appreciated. You all are awesome, and thank you for reading my story!**

Dream Annabeth wiped a tear from her eye. "Thalia died in battle trying to save us. As you know, she then got turned into a tree and used as an accessory, taken for granted for years to come."

Percy looked back at Thalia's dead, steaming body. He couldn't believe how brave she was at such as young age, but what he also couldn't believe was that this was all a result of Annabeth refusing to kill Thalia.

Dream Annabeth continued. "I found out that Arachne had contacted all three Furies and sent them to us. She sent the hellhounds as well. We didn't stand a chance of all of us surviving, especially since I had broken the oath. Thalia had surprised everybody with how much power she had inside of her, and she beat them at the cost of her own life. Her death broke me."

Percy listened as he watched rainbow-colored magic swirl around Thalia. A tree grew out of the ground and roots covered Thalia. Her face turned brown and green as she sunk partly into the ground and into the tree. Thalia's tree.

Dream Annabeth said, "And it was at that moment that I realized I could never truly escape Arachne. She was right when she had told me that if I said no to her, something worse would happen. All Thalia wanted was a safe place where she could cultivate her powers and escape the harmful figures in her past. Camp Half-Blood represented that for her, and she was probably the most determined out of all of us to make it there."

Percy thought about how Thalia's life would've been different if she had made it through Camp borders. He thought of her in an orange shirt, alone in the Zeus cabin, playing Capture the Flag, scaling the lava wall, meeting Percy in a much more normal setting, maybe dating Luke…he saw that vision and thought that it was no wonder Thalia was so driven to get there.

Dream Annabeth knelt next to Thalia's steaming body. "However, when the dust cleared, Thalia died alone on Half-Blood Hill, not allowed to make it to the demigod safe haven with the guy she loved."

The scene shifted to Camp Half-Blood, in the Athena cabin. Sunlight poured through the windows and refracted rainbow light through the room. Young Annabeth must have already been claimed by her mother since she was in the Athena cabin. Dream Annabeth looked at Malcolm sleeping in the bed next to her. "When I got to Camp Half-Blood, Athena claimed me almost immediately. It was almost like she was apologizing for not saving me from Arachne's torment all those months. I was torn; I wanted to escape this torture, but the more I learned about Greek mythology, the more I learned how dark this world can be. However, even behind Camp's borders, I knew that Arachne was still watching. Still waiting for me to refuse her so I can suffer more. This resulted into an intense fear of anything even resembling spiders. You know that I have problems with anything that even looks like them."

Percy thought back to the Lotus Hotel and Casino when he had to shake Annabeth out of a Sims game trance (to be fair, he agreed that the game is addicting) by saying the word, 'spider.' Percy didn't know the full history behind it at the time, but it had brought Annabeth out of her trance immediately. He nodded and Dream Annabeth bit her lip and nodded. "That's me. The champion of Arachne. She even gave me a few new powers; enhanced strength, senses, and the ability to create portals to different places. But those powers only worked as long as I was doing her will. And I told myself that I would never use them. But they came in handy when I had to lift the sky or when had matched sword strokes with Kronos."

Percy looked at her, but decided that she didn't look any different. She was still the same Annabeth, but with so much…pain. But he had so many more questions. Did Arachne tell her to kidnap Cyrene? For what purpose? Instead, Percy asked, "Wait, how involved has Arachne been in all of our adventures? And is she listening right now if she communicates through dreams mostly?"

Dream Annabeth shook her head. "Usually, I feel her presence, almost like a spider crawling on my neck that I can't kill. But since this dream is provided by Iris," The rainbow light in the cabin glowed brighter. "I am free for the first time in years."

Percy wished he could keep her here forever so she wouldn't continue to be tormented by the literal personification of her worst fear. Dream Annabeth looked to the wooden ceiling and took a deep breath. "Arachne was there. The whole time. Every single one of our adventures was shadowed by her."

Percy felt like someone had stabbed him in the heart. "What…"

She looked straight at him. "I put together what happens if I say no to Arachne. And so at her request, no, _command,_ I gave Luke the scorpion that he used to try and kill you. Arachne had told me what Luke was going to use it for. I didn't have the strength to try and stop it, especially since I didn't know you that well and I passed by Thalia every single day."

Percy backed up from her. The rainbow light shifted colors. "You tried to kill me."

Dream Annabeth kept her gaze as if she was challenging Percy to get angry. "I knew that if I refused, events would occur that resulted in both you and Luke dying, or something worse. But you survived…and I was glad. I was not penalized simply because I had done what Arachne told me to do. She never told me to kill you, she told me to give Luke the scorpion. It probably resulted in him thinking I was going to be on Kronos' side during the war, which is why he tried so hard to get me to join."

"When you and Tyson were in the gym playing dodgeball that next year," Dream Annabeth continued. The scene changed to Percy's middle school gym. "Arachne told me sneak poison into Luke's room; she enjoyed having Luke do her dirty work because it kept me out in the clear. She wanted to divert attention from myself, so I could continue being her sleeper agent unnoticed. Once I snuck the poison into Luke's room, she told me to go to the Labyrinth and release the Colchis Bulls. Once I had done that, she told me to go to your school. All of this transpired before I met up with you, so when we got to Camp, the tree was poisoned and the bulls were raging. Luke confessing that he had poisoned it fell in line with right what Arachne wanted. I was under orders to keep you in the dark, so I did what I could to try to maintain my image as your best friend. I helped her lure Grover to Polyphemus, where we rescued him years ago. I'm not sure why she had me do things that I would end up stopping, but she said that she was on a higher level of cognition that I could never get on."

Percy couldn't believe this. She…almost killed Grover. _She_ gave Luke the scorpion? _She_ gave Luke the poison? _She_ released the Bulls onto Camp? Campers died that day, trying to fight the burning hot monsters. It seemed like she was manipulating _everyone_. "Annabeth…that's not you. You're a fighter. You don't give up even if the situation seems hopeless."

Dream Annabeth continued breaking his heart. "One day, she told me to do something I didn't believe I could do. Arachne told me to kill Luke. He was getting too unstable, too proud, and he was getting too close to me. I had a gun in my pants that day on the Princess Andromeda. I had a shot when you two were fighting, to just shoot him in the head or neck. But I couldn't. I watched as he almost took your life and injured your leg."

Percy looked at Younger Annabeth on the ship. "How…how could you do this?"

Dream Annabeth shook her head. "At that point, I knew that me refusing to kill him was me breaking the oath once more. Arachne called me a fool in my dreams, and told me I'd pay for that. She continued to torment me every single time I went to sleep. It was nothing out of the ordinary though, so I dared to hope that I was off the hook with the River Styx. But then she turned her attention onto you."

The scene shifted to them fighting the manticore. "Arachne noticed that you had survived all the attempts to kill you that she and others had tried. She wanted to see how dedicated you were to me, so she told me to fall off the cliff at Nico and Bianca's school."

Percy saw her tumble off the cliff with the manticore and heard his scream. Dream Annabeth looked on stoically. "Your screams broke my heart. I fell and fell. The manticore was heavier than me, so he fell a lot further and a lot faster. Me? I fell into a huge web, cornered by Arachne. She told me that I was going to be used as bait…for you. She sent me to release the Nemean Lion. I used a piece of the dress shirt I tore off you while we were dancing to give the Lion your scent. It hunted you down, but you killed it, which surprised Arachne even more. She then sent me straight to Luke, who I still held out as possibly someone who could destroy Arachne. He could maybe even use Kronos to do so. But once you took the sky for me, she saw you with a newfound interest, the same interest she saw in Luke; the potential to be manipulated."

Percy _did_ feel pretty manipulated; he literally had gone to hell and back for her.

Dream Annabeth furiously wiped tears from her eyes. "Ah, damn it. I hoped I wouldn't have to explain this to you, ever. I prayed that she would be killed and I would be free. I just wanted to be free. The worst part about all of it was that I loved Camp Half-Blood. I loved everybody there, and I wanted to save Luke and stop Kronos like everyone else there. What was weird was that for the most part, she allowed me to do so. It was just a few things here and there that she would tell me to do in that rasping voice of hers, and I felt like I had no choice. If I didn't do it, something worse would happen. And the logical side of me would not have tolerated me refusing something due to blind emotion."

The scene shifted to them by Zeus' Fist, watching a younger Percy and a younger Annabeth facing three huge scorpions. Percy looked miserably at Annabeth. "These scorpions were you as well?"

Dream Annabeth made a face. "No, those were created by Arachne to push us towards the Labyrinth. Both Arachne and I wanted to stop Luke from invading the camp, which was the scariest thing. I even thought that she maybe had some disgusting little children out there that she wanted to train at Camp Half-Blood. Regardless of the reason, I hated it when her and I's interests lined up with one another; it made me feel like a reflection of her. When you had spotted the Labyrinth entrance, you jumped in and I hesitated; I had been in the Labyrinth before to bring out the Colchis Bulls. It was a scary and dangerous place, and has been known to break people's psyches. But I jumped in after you to save you so you wouldn't lose your sanity. And then, our quest took us down in the Labyrinth together."

The scene shifted to them hiding by from the telkhines of Hephaestus' forges. Percy saw himself tell a younger Annabeth to report back to Hephaestus. They both watched Younger Annabeth kiss him by the forges, then put on her hat and disappear. Percy kept his eyes on his younger self, stunned and caught off guard. "Arachne tell you to do that too?"

Dream Annabeth pursed her lips. "No, that wasn't part of the plan. However, instead of going off to Hephaestus, Arachne told me to meet with her. She told me to gain your trust and keep you alive because you could prove to be an interesting pawn. It wasn't hard for me to do so, because…well, I cared about you."

Percy had trouble believing that.

The scene changed to Olympus, with Percy standing over Luke with a knife in his hand. Percy watched intently as his old self gave Luke the knife; the choice that the prophecy had led to. Dream Annabeth looked at her younger self on the ground when a flash of golden light erupted; Luke and Kronos was dead.

"At this point, I realized the consequence of me refusing to kill Luke. I violated the oath on the River Styx. As a result, instead of him dying painlessly by a bullet, he had gotten taken over by Kronos, engineered unspeakable crimes, then committed suicide. It was all my fault…again. Once you made your big choice, Arachne uncharacteristically allowed me to have some peace. She didn't even appear in my dreams anymore when you and I started dating. I was happy…but I should've known that it wasn't going to last."

The scene shifted to the Athena cabin at Camp Half-Blood, with Younger Annabeth sleeping. She sat up in her bed, with wild eyes and screaming. Her siblings stirred, but Younger Annabeth took off out the door and towards the beach. The scene shifted so they were next to Younger Annabeth. She screamed at the waves and fell to her knees, sobbing.

Dream Annabeth looked on. "Arachne had told me to kill you."

Percy's entire body froze. He turned towards Dream Annabeth stiffly. "What?"

Dream Annabeth nodded. "She thought you were getting too powerful, and getting too close to finding out the truth about me. She saw that I cared about you too, but told me to do the same thing she had told the other two people I truly cared about…she told me to kill you. I was distraught."

Percy turned to Younger Annabeth screaming and pounding the ground; she looked possessed. After about twenty minutes of her doing that, she had curled into a ball, shaking on the beach. She pulled out a picture of Luke and Thalia and whispered, "I'm sorry, Percy." She pulled out her knife and began to walk.

Percy looked at Dream Annabeth and he felt like he was being choked. "You were going to kill me."

Dream Annabeth nodded. "Emotions don't work the same for me as they do for other people. Even though I cared for you, I felt like I had to do it…it was the logical choice lest something even worse happen to you or someone else."

They watched on as Younger Annabeth skulked towards the Poseidon cabin. Even though Percy was right there watching, he felt like he was watching the scene of his own murder. The scene shifted to inside the cabin, and they saw Younger Annabeth tear open the door to see…no one there. Percy put two and two together. "This was when Hera took me."

Dream Annabeth watched herself tear up the bed and the room searching for her boyfriend. "Another time when Arachne and I's desires happened to line up; she told me to find you at all costs. I wanted to find you at all costs, partly because I was worried about you, partly because I needed to kill you to prevent something worse happening. The whole thing with Jason, Piper, and Leo happened, and Arachne was relatively quiet. She just continuously told me to find you; you were her priority. I summoned her in my dream the night before I arrived at Camp Jupiter and told her that Gaea was rising. Just as I planned, Gaea was as much of a threat to Arachne as she was to us. She rescinded her previous order for me to kill you and told me to do whatever was necessary to defeat Gaea and restore balance. And when I found you…"

The scene shifted to Percy and a younger Annabeth hugging and kissing on the Camp Jupiter grounds as Reyna and others looked on.

"Thanks," Percy said sarcastically. He had a hard time thanking someone that he loved who was just as ready to kiss him as they were to kill him.

The scene shifted to them on Camp Half-Blood's beach. Dream Annabeth sat down on the sand and watched the waves as Percy continued to stand. "…I was overcome with happiness. I didn't have to kill you and I was reunited with the one person who made me feel like I was free. On my way to retrieve the Athena Parthenos, I realized that the statue was kept in Arachne's chamber. She was my final obstacle in retrieving the Athena Parthenos. It scared me because I hadn't seen Arachne in person since she murdered and ate my sister. However, I was following the Mark of Athena, and my mother had sent me on this quest. I figured that she would watch over me as I forged into Arachne's lair."

Dream Annabeth nodded as she went on. "When I saw her that day; my breath had caught in my throat. She had woven tapestries that were the most beautiful I'd ever seen, and one of them depicted our first underwater kiss. It was at that point I realized that she had been watching me the whole time. I had a chance then; a chance to beat the force that had been tormenting me for the majority of my life. When Arachne came into view, she told me she knew I'd come. She was bigger and even more disgusting than how she had appeared in my bedroom years ago. She had made up her mind that she was going to kill me that day. I was getting too unpredictable, and powerful, especially with the Mark of Athena. She reminded me that Athena casts aside even her own daughter. I realized that I couldn't fight her, so I tricked her into making these huge monster-sized Chinese spider cuffs. She had never ordered me to not to fight or trick her. I used her pride to trick her into cuffing herself, trapping her. I was ecstatic. I thought I had beaten her and escaped her influence."

Percy knew how this story ended. He couldn't believe Annabeth's tormenter was right there and he didn't know. He finished the story. "And you taunted her, which prompted her to bring down the chamber, opening a pit to Tartarus which you and I fell in."

Dream Annabeth sighed, keeping her eyes on the waves. "Yeah, but I realized in Tartarus that it was her plan. She knew I wouldn't just be able to walk away. She knew I had to taunt her, displaying my fatal flaw. She used my pride to try to destroy me with one last gesture. And yeah, we all fell into Tartarus."

Percy shuddered at the thought of it. "I remember she was sneaking up on you and almost killed you down there; you froze up. I had to save you, but what happened?"

Dream Annabeth cracked her dream neck. "I was frozen because I smelled a familiar scent."

Percy nodded. "Yeah, the smell Arachne gives off before she kills her victims."

Dream Annabeth shook her head. "No, the smell of my stepmother."

The beach seemed to turn upside down. Percy was having a hard time processing this; this was a lot of information, and now he didn't know what this meant. Dream Annabeth looked at him for a second, then back to the sea. "It was the same sweet smell that my stepmother had. At that point, I put together that my stepmother was the personification of Arachne."

Percy had to sit down. He remembered back when he had visited Annabeth's home, looking for help, and her stepmother asked Percy to tell Annabeth that she always had a home with them. That seemed to be pretty cool at the time, but now it was cold, hostile, and manipulative. He has had more encounters with Arachne than he realized.

Dream Annabeth materialized pictures of Matthew and Bobby. "I realized that my brothers and Jessica may be the children of Arachne. Or that Arachne had killed the real woman who attracted my father and took her place. I'm not sure."

Percy couldn't believe Dream Annabeth had just cracked a joke, but saw on her face that she was deadly serious. Percy thought about Cyrene. "Well, what is going on now, then? What's going on with Cyrene?"

Dream Annabeth evaporated the pictures of Matthew and Bobby and materialized Cyrene in her arms. She handed Dream Cyrene to Percy, who took her gingerly. She smelled just like Cinnamon rolls. Tears came down Percy's eyes as Dream Cyrene smiled at him. He sniffed. "Hi, Cy."

Dream Cyrene thrashed her arms and legs, got tired after a few seconds, yawned, then went to sleep. Dream Annabeth watched the two of them and gave a tearful smile, started to cry, then stopped herself. "She's still in Tartarus, but she's also still in my head. She's been there ever since my childhood. Every time I went to sleep, it was like she came back to life. She was angry that I had escaped Tartarus and she was still there. Since she never ordered me to not kill her or to not leave Tartarus, I was off the hook with the River Styx. But she would whisper and tell me numerous different ways of how I was going to die and how many ways you were going to die. She wanted you to pay for attacking her in Tartarus. When your mother had given birth, Arachne had a terrible idea. She was going to ask for your soul, but in that horrible, raspy voice, she told me, _'Bring me the newborn girl. She will be my tether to the world of the living.'_ "

The wind grew cold. The sky seemed darker and Percy felt like he had ingested a vial of Gorgon Blood. He couldn't see any rainbow anywhere anymore; it's like the color had been drained out of everything. He looked down at Cyrene, who slowly evaporated into the wind. "That's why…you…you were…"

Dream Annabeth's tears had dried into two lines of dust on her face. "I said no, at first. She told me that I would be violating my oath and I told her I didn't care. I was not going to be the one responsible for your sister's death. She told me she expected me to say no; every time she tells me to take someone's life, I always break my oath on the River Styx and say no. I just took whatever consequences occurred. However, she had planned for this. She had another threat, one that was much more direct. She still has control over spiders in this world, even in Tartarus. She told me that she has shrunken Funnel-web spiders in Matthew and Bobby's bodies. Funnel web spiders are special arachnids with deadly venom. If I didn't bring Cyrene to the Asopio Pool in Hades, which is a sacrificial pool that is connected straight to Tartarus, she would will the spiders to bite my brothers' hearts. It would instantly kill them since it would have been injected straight into the organ. She's using them to control my actions, just like the old days. She swore on the River Styx that if I brought Cyrene to the Asopio Pool and brought her back to life, she would release all control over my family and she would dissolve my bond with her. She was forcing me to make a choice between my family and yours. My thirteen-year old brothers…or your newborn sister."

Percy felt the Wolf come up again. "No…you won't," He growled.

Dream Annabeth met Percy's stare. "I'm doing this for my family too. I contacted Sadie to put some Egyptian spells on the hat and the bracelets. I left the note to distract you and to take you away from suspecting me. I killed Iris and Fleecy to stop you from seeing what I was going to do; I wanted to do this covertly. I wanted to cover all my bases. I kidnapped Nico because he is my entrance to the Asopio Pool."

Percy bared his teeth. "You need to let Nico and Cyrene go, now."

Dream Annabeth continued. "I had gone to the Parthenon in Tennessee partly because I wanted to and partly because I planned for you to have a precognitive dream that showed you where I was. I expected you to fly from California to Tennessee via pegasus, and I was going to gone by the time you got there. I sent Leo the notification of the Greek fire ahead of time so he could evacuate Camp. Once Camp was evacuated, I blew it up and brought the monsters in to delay you. You could never walk away from Camp Half-Blood for something personal, even if it was an emergency. I was going to keep creating big distractions for you so I could complete my mission undisturbed. You were never going to know until it was too late. But I didn't plan for those teleportation rings, nor did I plan for you to kill my Flame Panther that Arachne gave me. You almost caught up to me. You kept getting in my way and we kept running into each other, and I had to improvise. But I want you to know one thing: I am going to sacrifice Cyrene to bring Arachne back. She will then leave my family alone forever. It's the death of one to save two. It's the logical choice."

Percy uncapped Riptide. "Stop thinking about what's the logical choice and think about what's the RIGHT choice. Annabeth, you can't. You wouldn't."

Dream Annabeth stood. "What's the 'right' choice is subjective. All ideas of right and wrong are purely philosophical. I thought out of all people, you would understand my decision the best. You suffer from excessive personal loyalty, Percy. You would give up the WORLD to save a friend. Put yourself in my shoes, Percy. To save Cyrene, would you kill Matthew?"

The waves were now crashing onto the beach, the water residue rushing over Dream Annabeth and Percy's ankles. The wind picked up, blowing so violently that they had to yell to hear each other. Percy shook his head, he couldn't believe this is happening. He couldn't even think clearly. "I wouldn't…I wouldn't kill anybody," Percy lied.

Percy knew which option he would've picked, and it scared him to his core. But he figured that Annabeth didn't need to hear him agree with her decision. Instead, he decided to tell her what he _wished_ he would be able to do in the situation. "I would find a way to save both of them, or die trying."

Dream Annabeth got in his face like they were at the tetherball court again. She yelled, "BUT EVEN IF YOU DIE TRYING, YOUR FAMILY STILL DIES."

Percy was at a loss for words. Dream Annabeth was seething, staring into his face. Her voice was softer now, more broken. "I can't afford to die. It's my family, Percy."

Percy stared her down. She composed her breathing. "I'm not going to let Matthew and Bobby miss out on their lives. Just as you would be willing to do anything to save Cyrene, I'm willing to do anything to save my brothers. During my life, I threw away logic whenever Arachne would tell me to kill someone. I went with my emotions, and someone else paid for it. But my family was never brought into this. Until now. I will _not_ throw away logic now."

Percy shook his head, tears in his eyes. "Did you ever love me?"

Dream Annabeth clenched her jaw. "Yes."

Percy almost wished she would've said no. It would've made this easier. "Don't do this."

Dream Annabeth backed up from him. "I will. It's for my family, Percy."

Percy watched her back up. He felt her slipping through his fingers. "Do you remember the question I asked you years ago. I asked you, 'Will things line up the way they did with the Trojan War? Will it be Athena vs. Poseidon?' Do you remember that?

Dream Annabeth kept her eyes on him as she kept backing up. "I do. I know I told you that I would fight next to you. Because you were my friend."

Percy felt like running after her. Annabeth had done so much for him, but was just a victim of an age-old grudge between Athena and Arachne. The old Annabeth was still in there somewhere. The Annabeth he knew, who would come up with a strategy worthy of the gods, had to be there somewhere. He put his hand out to her; one last offer. "Then fight next to me. We can stop Arachne and save your family. Together. Like Athena and Poseidon did with the chariot."

Dream Annabeth looked at his hand for a few seconds, then put her chin up and shook her head. "I can't."

Percy put his hand down. He had expected it. "I will stop you."

Dream Annabeth turned from him so her back was facing him. "I hope you do, Percy. I hope you do your thing and find some way to fix it all. If you have an opportunity to save my family and Cyrene, but it means killing me, will you do it?"

Percy felt the Wolf stir. "I will do whatever I need to do to save my sister."

Dream Annabeth turned slightly so Percy could see a fraction of her face. "There's my Percy."

She turned and jogged away. Percy watched her run away. Questions swirled through his head. The Annabeth he knew seemed to not be in there anymore. She claimed that none of the feelings she had were made up, she had acquired them as she was following Arachne's orders to follow him. But did she really love him if she was ready to kill him, and has tried multiple times? Juniper and Calypso would have said no. Piper was right though, that there was more going on than meets the eye. Conversely, Annabeth held a view closer to Jason, though, that Percy needed to be ready to kill her if necessary. But Grover was right; Annabeth wasn't a monster that was just going to burst into dust.

Was she guilty for her actions? Should she be held accountable if she had sworn an oath on the Styx when she was younger? Should she just continue to break the oath and watch the people around her suffer? Should she just let her brothers die? And then possibly her father? And then possibly her cousin? But then if she's not accountable, then was every single bad thing she did in Arachne's name not her fault?

He walked into the water. Was Annabeth a good person? Leo said that he'd never met a bad person who spoke Morse Code, but Annabeth's actions pointed to her being manipulative and slightly murderous. But her other actions showed that she does have a heroic side. Does it really matter what's on the inside, or do actions truly speak louder?

Whatever the answers were, she planned on killing his sister to save her brothers. He needed to stop her, whatever it takes.

Percy winked and some water from the beach surrounded him in a cyclone. The water turned into mist and bubbles, and brought Percy back into the sky with Iris. His last Iris-Message was over.


	18. Chapter 18

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or any related characters! Please, please, PLEASE review if you read; all feedback is greatly appreciated. You all are awesome, and thank you for reading my story!**

Percy was standing on the golden clouds once more, surrounded by rainbows. It was a comfortable warm/hot temperature, which Percy assumed was what tanning on the beach felt like. The sun was right there, trying to warm the ice layer that had formed around his heart. It was a stark contrast to the aggressive waves and the strong winds that were on the Fireworks Beach within the dream. Iris was waiting on a smaller cloud right in front of him. She smiled, but there was more sadness than warmth in her eyes. Percy felt like sitting down, but he felt like he was going to sink straight through the clouds.

Iris spoke first. It struck him how much she reminded him of his mother. "Well? Did you learn what you needed to learn about your friend?"

His _friend_. Not girlfriend. His _friend_. Percy thought for a moment. He had figured out Annabeth's motivation, and had figured out her end goal, however twisted it was. Even though it wasn't the answer he wanted (he didn't know what answer he would've wanted), Percy responded, "Yeah. Yeah, I guess I did."

Iris nodded, but Percy figured this was the last time that he was going to see the goddess for a long time. He had questions. He took a breath. "Did you mind if I asked you a few questions first?"

Iris sat down, cross-legged on the cloud. She beckoned him to go on; but he felt weird talking to someone who is technically dead. Even though he did it with Bianca, doing so with Iris was even weirder.

"First off…how are you dead? What happened? I thought gods weren't able to die?"

Iris' hand went to her neck as if remembering the sword. "The sword your friend attacked me with was of Stygian Iron, a metal capable of absorbing or destroying the souls and essences of monsters, as well as being able to injure even gods. It would be similar to your celestial bronze sword being able to harm Ares in you two's fight years ago. The Greek gods, put simply, are a race of powerful immortal beings that have domain over something. They can be wounded by supernatural attacks like the Stygian Iron sword, but they wouldn't necessarily 'die' because the power that flows from their thrones, sacrifices, animals and sources of power keeps their life-force going. With that knowledge, most gods don't 'die'...instead, they may fade away, or their essence can be scattered like in the case of Kronos. However, I'm not sure if I would even describe myself as a _god,_ Jackson. At least not in the traditional way. I had no shrine, no sacrifices made to me, no animals, and my source of power is a rainbow. So I don't know if I meet the criteria. Maybe a better description is a very useful immortal. But since I was in a human form, your friend delivered a fatal blow with the Stygian Iron sword; allowing her to severely injure me."

Iris looked on sadly and Percy suddenly understood. "Because you don't have a throne or a source of power or sacrifices to live upon, you couldn't draw upon it to heal yourself. Your human form was dead."

Iris nodded. "Right. If she would have tried that with, say, your father, it would barely have stung for him. Now, my godly essence was not necessarily destroyed and frankly, I'm not sure if it can be destroyed. But the blow took and absorbed a lot of my life essence and power because I was holding a lot of it in that form. Currently, I am so weakened that I can no longer take a physical form. Hence, I 'died.' But it's not so bad, though. Fleecy got a new job as a part-time personal messenger for Hades and part-time judge of the Underworld. Her resume will be packed if she ever decides to come back to the living. She's told me that the Underworld is so dreary and needs some more color and light, so she is working on that."

Percy shuddered at being Hades' personal messenger. Iris spread her arms and looked up in the sunlight and rainbows as if she was trying to give a huge hug to the biggest cloud ever. "Me...I live among the rainbows. I am simultaneously here, everywhere, and nowhere. Even though Camp Jupiter is visiting my shrine and making small sacrifices of their food, it may be another thousand years until I am able to take physical form once more, if at all. That is saddening, though; I liked living on Earth. Business was good. There were so many people who needed to turn to an organic lifestyle. But my old friend Hermes may be able to create a more efficient version of Iris-Messaging. That would be nice."

She smiled and Percy grinned. She was such a good sport that he couldn't believe that anyone would try to hurt her. But Percy's smile melted away as he thought about her death, Fleecy's place in the Underworld, Cyrene's capture, Annabeth's oath, and how his friends would react to what he learned in the dream.

Iris frowned as well. "What's on your mind, Percy?"

Percy looked up at Iris. Her warm brown eyes drew him in. He felt compelled to tell her the truth; it was as if he couldn't think of any reason to lie. "Annabeth had told me that she made an oath on the River Styx to serve Arachne and to do whatever she tells her to do. I don't think anyone has fully explained to me what happens when someone breaks an oath on the River Styx…I just know it's bad. Do you think you could explain it?"

Iris put her hand to her chin. She shimmered like a mirage. "Hm. I know the popular saying is that oaths made on the River Styx are supernaturally binding. If not fulfilled, it brings something worse than death to the Oath Bearer. Compared to demigods, gods get off relatively lightly because they are immortal. In the older days, if they broke an oath, even gods would be forbidden to live in isolation without godly food and drink, ambrosia and nectar, for ten years."

Percy tried to imagine living in isolation without food or drink until he was 28. His mind went to Tantalus and how he must have felt for all those years. At least Tantalus had Camp Half-Blood to hate. "But what happens if a demigod breaks the oath?"

Iris looked at Percy. "Once Annabeth made the oath on the Styx, the Fates had their eyes on her. Arachne has no power over what the Fates decide, but she knows the consequences are worse than death. It's possible to threaten someone with the terrible punishments that the Fates impose upon those who break the binding oath."

Percy thought back to Thalia dying on Half-Blood Hill, steps away from the safe place she had always searched for, and turning into a tree to be used for years. He also thought about Luke who was possessed by Kronos, led an assault on Olympus, then killed himself.

"But Annabeth is still alive," he asked dumbly. "Even if she was too young to make an informed swearing upon the Styx, shouldn't the punishment go upon the oath bearer? The punishments seemed to only fall on people she was close to."

Percy felt like he was in Pre-Calculus, trying to understand the lesson that the entire class already understood. Iris thought for a second. "Maybe the Fates went easy on her because she was tricked into the oath. Maybe Arachne protected the daughter of Athena from any punishments falling upon her, so the Fates' judgment was forced to redirect to someone close to her. Or maybe to Annabeth, seeing her friends suffer _and_ die is a fate worse than death for her."

Percy remembered when they were in the Labyrinth and Annabeth told him the last line of the prophecy was, " _To lose a love to a fate worse than death."_ She seemed broken when Percy had told her about Luke offering himself to Kronos.

Percy didn't fully understand, but he had a bit more context, which is better than nothing. He had one more question, though. "Why don't the gods just stop this? I mean, I'm not asking for Zeus to strike down Annabeth with lightning, but why don't the gods attack Annabeth for killing you?"

The rainbows bent around them, like light refracting. Iris sighed and gave a sad smile. "Why don't they get rid of poverty and hunger? Why don't they immediately kill terrorists once they make up their minds to attack? Why don't they eradicate all the bad people on the planet? You're getting into some philosophical questions about power and morality, Percy. But simply put, the gods are limited to how much they can interfere in mortal affairs, upon the decree of Zeus. It must affect them on a major scale, a scale large enough for the gods to intervene. That's why they send demigods to do so much work as opposed to doing it themselves. Otherwise, they would have struck down the son of Hermes before he climbed into Kronos' coffin, ruining Kronos' plans. Unfortunately, your sister does not fall into the category of a godly-tier threat. However, like Poseidon and Hades did, gods can convince Zeus to bend the rules a little bit for their own personal reasons."

The sight of the restored and updated Camp Half-Blood flashed through Percy's head. Percy thought to himself that he needed to get rid of that rule if he was ever a god. He nodded and grinned. "Thank you, Iris. For everything. You are more appreciated than you know. You deserved a lot more praise."

Iris smiled once more. "You're a good hero, Percy. I hope that you feel strength and comfort whenever you look up at a rainbow. Keep in mind that rainbows may be just beautiful enough to justify the storm."

She winked at Percy meaningfully, and he was whisked back to the Fireworks Beach, where Poseidon was waiting.

Poseidon was in the surf, talking to a dolphin who seemed to be telling a very animated story; his flippers were waving all around and his squeaks seemed to be filled with punchlines and emotion. Poseidon was laughing sporadically, a huge, booming sound that made Percy smile. He trudged into the water and Poseidon turned to see his son walking towards him. He rubbed the dolphin on its head and met Percy half way.

"Well, son, what happened? What did you find out?"

Percy realized that he probably was going to be asked to recount this several times over the next few days. He told the whole story to Poseidon, who listened intently as he looked out to the surf. Once Percy finished, Poseidon exhaled, which confused Percy again due to his previous question about gods and oxygen.

He turned to Percy. "She cannot be allowed to sacrifice Cyrene to bring Arachne back. That proud weaver needs to stay in Tartarus for all time. You need to save her."

Percy nodded. For the first time since Cyrene was gone, Percy knew what he needed to do, knew his priorities regarding who he saves, and knew where he needed to go; the Asopio Pool.

Poseidon looked at his son. "It seems like Annabeth has had a sinister shadow over her over most of her life. Do you blame her for the decisions she made?"

Percy thought for a second. "I blame Arachne, but I'm disappointed in Annabeth. There must've been some alternative rather than doing whatever Arachne wants, whenever she wants. She could've told me or Chiron or Thalia. Or even Athena. Where has she been this whole time?"

Poseidon shook his head. "I'm not sure. I know that I would doing whatever I could to break the rules and save you from your imprisonment."

Percy fought the urge to smile at the weird compliment. "Thanks, Dad."

Poseidon started to walk deeper into the ocean, but stopped and looked back. "Did you have any more questions for me?"

Percy felt bad that he had exhausted all his godly questions with Iris. But he did have one.

"Do gods need to breathe?"

Poseidon looked taken aback for a second, then narrowed his eyes in thought. "To be honest, I'm not sure. I don't think we necessarily _need_ to breathe, just like humans don't _need_ to breathe. If you wanted to, you could stop breathing right now."

Percy didn't know if his father was joking or not as Poseidon winked at him, walked into the sea, and exploded into tiny bubbles. Percy put his hands in his pockets and started to walk away. The sun was starting to lower in the sky and he sensed that it was about 5:00 p.m. He heard a scream and a bleat, and he looked up. About a hundred feet away, Thalia and Grover on the climbing wall. Thalia was at the top, but Grover had barely gotten halfway. He seemed to be stuck because his hooves had stepped into one of the pegs incorrectly. Grover tried to pull himself up, but fell to the ground with a hard _thud_.

Thalia nimbly leaped to the ground and landed without a sound. Percy jogged over and both he and Thalia were looking over the satyr as he rubbed his head. Grover was wearing a green shirt and no pants, which prompted Percy to wonder if wearing no pants meant the same to satyrs as it does to humans.

"Ow…oh, hey, Percy. I was just at the top of the climbing wall, and decided to jump off. I landed on my feet, and then decided to just chill here and look at the sun. I didn't fall off or anything, why would you think that? Oh, you didn't bring that up? Oh, look at that, silly me."

Percy grinned and he and Thalia helped him up. Thalia grabbed her shirt and looked at him. She was only in a black and blue sports bra and sweat glistened on her body. Her silvery glow illuminated her entire form. Her hair was pulled back and her muscles coursed and stretched as she moved. She had combat pants to go with it, which seemed to be an odd combination. The sight of her with nothing on flashed through Percy's head, which he quickly pushed out his head.

Thalia pulled her black shirt over her head as she asked, "So what happened?"

Percy sighed and looked at Grover. The satyr seemed to be reading Percy's emotions as he looked on with concern. Percy had them sit against the climbing wall as he told them the story. Once he was nearing the end, Percy looked up and saw storm clouds forming over the area. Grover looked up at the sky as well. Percy heard campers begin to jog into their cabins to avoid the coming storm.

Percy's story trailed off when he looked back at Thalia; her eyes were sparking. She gave him a nod. "Keep going, Percy. Finish your story."

He felt like it was a trap, but he finished the story. Grover sat back, his horns hitting the climbing wall. "Wow."

Thalia stood up and walked towards the Amphitheater. Percy and Grover watched her go and when she was out of earshot, Grover shook his head. "I don't even know what to say. She had been working for Arachne the whole time? And didn't tell us?"

Percy shook his head. "I'm not sure why. We've done the impossible before, we could've…helped her, I don't know. Chiron is very knowledgeable about these things, we would've been able to do _something_."

Grover sighed and blinked hard. "Annabeth…oh, she's been through a lot. I should've known when I had found them that something was wrong. I should've asked how a seven-year old demigod had gotten from California to the East Coast by herself."

Percy put his hand on Grover's head and rubbed his hair. "It's not your fault, G-man. We just didn't see it coming. But…I've made my decision about her."

Grover looked up and Percy retracted his hand. "About her…?"

"About Annabeth. I had been listening to everyone else's opinion mostly because I didn't want to confront the feelings myself. After listening to everything and talking to Iris, and talking to Poseidon, and after some introspection, I don't think Annabeth is a bad person. I think she's a good person and if she had the chance, she would put that Stygian Iron Frost Sword right through Arachne and end all of this."

Grover nodded slowly. "I understand. Annabeth is someone who has always been complicated. It's not like she's been working with Arachne and causing havoc for fun. Based on what you said, she's been doing it because a) she was forced to due to her oath and b) she felt like the most logical choice was to avoid the River Styx's repercussions, do whatever Arachne wanted, and have faith that we and others would be able to stop it. She even worked with us to fight against plans that she had helped set in motion."

Percy considered that. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Grover was just getting warmed up though. "I mean, can you imagine if she had refused to kill you? You may have ended up as the host of Gaea or of Polybotes, or something, forced to fight against us and ending up dying. That would've been a lot worse than a knife in your-"

Percy put his hands out for Grover to stop. "Okay! Okay, I got it."

Grover blushed. "Sorry."

"You know Juniper thinks that Annabeth doesn't love me? Because she did something that she knew would hurt me."

Grover rolled his neck. "I mean, I partly agree. I'm not sure if Annabeth loves you in the conventional way. But isn't love different for everyone?"

Percy thought about that and looked off to Thalia, sitting alone at the Amphitheater. "Yeah, I guess." He wondered what had ticked Thalia off more than he expected.

Grover looked back at Thalia and answered as if he read Percy's mind. "Dude, you just told her that the sacrifice she believed she made for her family was all because Annabeth broke her oath to Arachne. You also told her that Annabeth even prepared to kill her at one point. Did you notice that she was preparing to kill you and Thalia at different points in time, but when it came to Luke, she didn't hesitate in saying no?"

Percy hadn't thought about any of those points. "But Annabeth had brought the gun with her on the ship."

"Maybe to throw off Arachne. But look, Thalia just heard that one of her childhood best friends betrayed her and ended up on the way to do something unspeakable as the servant of evil. Sound familiar?"

Percy didn't need to be told twice. He stood up and headed to the Amphitheater and as he got closer, the smell of ozone got stronger. He saw Thalia sitting on the back row, staring towards the stage-area of the Amphitheater. Percy ignored the strengthening ozone smell and sat next to her, but facing the other way; the ocean. Percy saw Thalia's eyes moving back and forth as if she was trying to catch something that was moving too fast to follow.

"What's up?"

Thalia shook her head. "Don't. I don't want your pity."

Percy swallowed his irritation. "Pity? I was just checking on one of my best friends. Can I do that?"

He shot her a grin. Thalia looked at him for a beat, then turned her attention down to the stage. "Annabeth always seemed like she wasn't on the same level as the people around her, like she had to come down to our level to interact with the laypeople. We thought that it was just her parentage but...it makes more sense now. She was already in this scary world, bound in an oath to one of the most bitter and cruel monsters in Greek history. She was constantly wrestling with her own demons and with Arachne in her head. So any time that Luke and I would talk to her, we _were_ actually bringing her back to Earth."

Percy wished that he knew what to say. Instead, he shared. "During our conversation, I thought about you."

Thalia looked at Percy, and this time, it was his turn to keep his eyes on the ocean. "I thought about you in an orange Camp shirt, running around, scaling the climbing wall, fighting monsters, going on quests, having a solid group of friends, dating people…maybe even growing up and becoming a counselor or living until adulthood."

Thalia turned away. Percy cursed to himself; he was truly a _vlacas._ He hoped that would've made her feel better. However, she looked back at him and tried for a smile. "I wished for that too. I prayed for it. I just wanted as normal of a life that I could have. But, look at me…I was never part of Camp Half-Blood. I will never have one of those shirts on. I'll always go on quests with the same group of girls and wolves. Not that they're bad, they're great. It's just…it's not the normal life I wanted."

The ocean blew a sea breeze at them, blowing Percy's hair back and Thalia's ponytail forward. "Well, you have friends here, Wonder Woman. You have the favor of the gods; all the gods either want to kill me or kill me."

Thalia fought back a chuckle. "And don't even get me started on dating. Looks like that's gone forever."

Percy cocked his head. "Mm, I don't know. Maybe Artemis will make an exception."

She rolled her eyes. "Artemis doesn't make exceptions."

Percy gave a dry laugh. "Worth a try for the right guy, I guess."

Thalia laughed with him and Percy thought about how cool Thalia is.

"Regardless, Thals, you're strong. One of the strongest people I've ever met. Your powers, your personality, sacrificing yourself for your friends, becoming a strong tree, turning back into a strong woman, fighting monsters for the rest of your days…I think more people need to be like you."

Thalia nodded. "Yeah, I am pretty great."

Percy scoffed and Thalia smiled, but it was gone just as quickly. She shifted so her legs was straddling the bench she was on and she was facing Percy. "Percy, honestly. What do you think about this Annabeth stuff? Do you think that she's beyond saving?"

Percy turned so he was facing her as well. "I think…I think she's made up her mind about what she needs to do. And I will stop her at any cost. It doesn't mean she's a bad person. I just think she's a generally good person who's…about to do something evil for her perception of the greater good."

Percy realized how weird that sounded coming out his mouth. Thalia continued to look at him. "But don't you think that the choice she gave you was ridiculous? Killing your baby sister or killing her brothers? What kind of choice is that? Being Arachne's sleeper agent within Camp Half-Blood or suffering the consequences of a broken oath on the River Styx?"

"I…I don't know. I can't really imagine making the choice."

Thalia's eyes struck with lightning. "Percy, I would've killed myself before being used as a pawn for some disgusting, super old spider-lady. Or anybody, for that matter. And if I had a choice between killing your baby sister or killing Jason? I would've made the decision to kill Arachne. I would've found a way to do it, especially if I had as big a brain as Annabeth. I would've found loopholes, ways to warn my victims before I came for them, ways to trick Arachne, ways to alert the gods so they could help, the whole nine yards. Arachne would have relinquished control once she realized that I'm much easier to deal with as an enemy than a servant."

Percy felt his heart twist and he looked to the bench. Arachne was right about one thing; Thalia was too… _Thalia_ to ever be manipulated. He felt a hand cup the right side of his face. Her hand was soft, but her fingers were lithe and firm, like any one of them could beat Percy in an arm wrestle. Percy felt energy coursing through her hand and thought about the lightning that could build up in an instant.

He looked up and met Thalia's eyes. She looked like she had made a decision. "Percy, I would never hurt you…or anyone I care about for that matter. I would do everything in my power to save my friends, and the world."

It reminded him of Juniper and Calypso, telling him that someone who truly loved him would never do anything to hurt him for any reason. But Thalia couldn't possibly love him, especially since she had put in that _"anyone for that matter,"_ statement. And she was a Hunter. Percy didn't even know why he was so invested in this.

Thalia smacked him twice. "Let's go. The entrance to the Asopio Pool is on the bottom floor of the Belvedere Castle in Central Park, New York. We need to get there as soon as possible and save Cyrene. Go grab Grover."

Percy smiled at the alliteration and slid off the top bench, jogging towards the climbing wall.

 _Rainbows may just be beautiful enough to justify the storm._ Percy wasn't sure why that had popped into his head.

 **Quick notes:**

 **Shout out to JC RH, thank you for encouraging me and giving me your thoughts regarding the story over the past days. I've read all your reviews carefully and they provide a lot of constructive feedback. I do plan on finishing the story and seeing it through, regardless of the amount of reviews!**

 **Thank you to all those that reviewed, my heart goes out to you. I always love whatever feedback because it shows that you all took the time to give your thoughts on my little old story! Keep giving me your thoughts. I will do my best to continue to update quickly.**

 **I understand that the story is different than some of the other fanfics, and that was where I was trying to take it; someplace different and new. I know some characters may seem a bit out of character, and the twist with Arachne may have caught a few people off guard, but stick with the story with an open mind. I think you may like where the characters end up.**

 **Aetemus, I hope this chapter has answered a few of your questions. I apologize if I have dipped out of continuity regarding a few things. Thank you for your opinions and questions; they made me think about the whole story in a different light!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or any related characters! Please, please, PLEASE review if you read; all feedback is greatly appreciated. You all are awesome, and thank you for reading my story!**

The sun was starting to hide beneath the hills, creating a beautiful orange, red, and purple sky. The beautiful colors made Percy think of Iris. The breeze blew gently and reassuringly through Camp Half-Blood, just warm enough so people wouldn't shiver or get goosebumps, but just cool enough to refresh the campers. The leaves rustled rhythmically to the breeze, blowing back and forth at a steady pace.

Percy was jogging to the Argo III. As he was taking in the scenery, his petal on his bracelet glowed a light purple. He was thinking to himself how beautiful Camp Half-Blood was when it wasn't being ravaged by monsters or death. The gentle breeze was now a wind that whipped his hair back as he ran. He had informed Grover about the destination that they were going, and the satyr had gone off to update Juniper. Thalia was gone from the amphitheater by the time Percy had gotten to Grover, so he assumed that she had gone to prepare for the quest.

He entered the huge ship and went to his informal room. Sure enough, his duffel bag filled with his weapons, armor, and artifacts was sitting at the foot of the bed. However, instead of being tousled by sleep, the bed looked to be uncharacteristically neat. Percy caught a faint scent of candy canes and incense and looked over to the corner of the room.

 _I slept with Thalia last night,_ he thought. The hairs on his arm went up and his body temperature started to rise. Heat ran to his face, and he had to think of the ocean to cool himself down. The petal glowed a deep yellow. He repeated to himself that it was _just_ sleep and it wasn't a big deal, but it seemed like his mind had other plans. It kept replaying Thalia taking his arm, putting it around her and laying her head on his chest as she hummed her song to him. Percy was convinced that the song she hummed to get him to sleep was some type of magical enchantment, because every time she did it, Percy felt like he was ten years old in his mother's arms. His muscles would relax, he would smell his mother's freshly baked cookies that she made on Christmas, and he would feel begin to feel tired, knocking out promptly after that.

Percy pushed thoughts of Thalia out his mind and bent down to retrieve his duffel bag. His Minotaur horn fell out of the bag and Percy stared at it for a second. He had kept it all this time as a reminder of where he came from; a souvenir from scarier, more uncertain times. He was twelve back then, ignorant of the world of the gods and disbelieving of anything that seemed unnatural to him. Now, six years and countless adventures later, Percy felt most at home in a military-based camp that trains children to become brutal warriors. He couldn't believe how far he'd come. Suddenly, Percy got an idea. He took the horn and took a pen and a piece of paper from on top of the dresser by his bed (Leo probably provided paper to allow people to write notes or draw, whatever they needed to engage in self-care). Percy wrote a note to one of his new favorite demigods.

" _Kofi,_

 _Thank you for letting me use your phone to call my mother. She would have walked up to Camp Half-Blood and physically extracted my soul if I hadn't gotten in contact with her. Sometimes, she can be scarier than any monster, god or Titan I've faced. Whether it's by blood, marriage, or friendship, always remember that family is important. It keeps a demigod humbled and gives them a support system that they can draw upon._

 _Here's your phone that I almost forgot to give back, sorry for having it for so long. Along with your phone is the horn of the Minotaur. I've had it since I was 12 and now I want you to have it. I had kept it as a reminder of more uncertain and confusing times. I hope that it will continue to give you strength and encourage you to make your mark in this world. Remember; this is a big, crazy world of gods and monsters, but that's not always a bad thing. It just gives you more opportunities to do good._

 _Percy_

 _P.S. The real purpose of this letter is to tell you that you have won a free batch of homemade Sally Jackson-edition chocolate-chip cookies. You are able to cash this in whenever you want."_

Percy folded up the note and grabbed a gray plastic bag from the dresser cabinet doors (Leo had everything). He put the Minotaur's horn in the bag, as well as Kofi's cell phone and the note. He tied it up and slung his duffel bag over his shoulder. Holding the gray plastic bag, he started to walk down the hall of temporary rooms. After three steps, Percy froze. He realized he had no idea where Kofi was, nor did he know who his parent was.

Chiron. Chiron would know. Percy leapt out of the Argo and tuned out all the noise as he jogged to the new Big House. He had gotten used to focusing on certain senses at certain times. If he didn't, his enhanced senses would have driven him crazy if he was constantly hearing everyone's breathing, conversation and bodily noises all at once. A rush of Camp Half-Blood related scents blew against Percy's face, allowing him to pinpoint exactly what scent it was and who it came from. The sun was now almost underneath the hills as Percy arrived at the steps of the Big House. He stopped and turned, looking around the new Camp Half-Blood. He had the familiar feeling that he wasn't going to be back here in a very long time.

Percy saw the usual activities going on such as campers sparring, hanging out, climbing the wall as lava poured down it, jousting, and Pegasus riding lessons. To Percy's left, he saw Grover walking with Juniper, holding hands. Juniper seemed to be telling a joke, prompting Grover to throw his head back and laugh. It warmed Percy's hear to see how happy his best friend was. To Percy's right, he saw an odd sight; Thalia talking to Piper. Thalia seemed to be on edge, uncomfortable even, as she leaned against the Zeus cabin and listened to the daughter of Aphrodite. Piper was talking meaningfully, as if she was trying to teach Thalia a lesson that needed to be learned. Thalia looked up and caught Percy looking at her, prompting her to bashfully end her conversation with Piper. She awkwardly offered a handshake to Piper, but she sprung up and hugged Thalia. To his left, Grover was running up, calling his name. Percy gave him a fist bump and turned to his right to see Thalia jogging up to him.

Past her shoulder, Piper was crossing her arms and shaking her head at Thalia's back. Once she caught Percy looking at her, she began to gaze at him. It made him uncomfortable. Percy was used to having eyes on him, but it was the _way_ that Piper stares. She stared at him with her kaleidoscope eyes, but was focused on him as if his eyes had changed colors and she was subsequently trying to both see how that was possible and how it looked on him.

Percy didn't have much time to think about how weird that was because Chiron swung open the doors to see the three of them standing there. He invited them in, and Percy realized that though he was here to find out what Kofi's godly parentage was, Grover and Thalia were here to brief Chiron on the next stop of the mission; Belvedere Castle in Central Park.

Chiron clopped to the center of the room and faced the three adventurers. "Where is the next stop in your mission?"

Percy couldn't help but notice how much more hands-off Chiron has gotten over the years, but he reasoned that he was getting less and less involved as the demigods he trained got older and more independent. Thalia stepped forward. "Percy had a…vision where he was able to talk with Annabeth. He heard that she was at the Asopio Pool, which is a body of-"

"A body of Underworld liquid that serves as a sacrificial pool, unique because it is the only place in existence that allows trades of any kind. Any sacrifices made there go straight to Tartarus, exchanging places with a pre-determined monster from Tartarus, bringing the latter to life in this plane of reality," Chiron interrupted. "Yes, I know. What happened with Annabeth? Why did she attack Camp?"

Percy realized that Chiron cared about Annabeth a lot; over her multiple years of Camp Half-Blood, she has found his favor through her intelligence, caring, fighting skills, and strategic prowess. Percy didn't want to, but he informed Chiron. "When Annabeth was seven, she was tricked into an oath on the River Styx to serve Arachne. Arachne had eaten one of her younger siblings alive-"

Thalia looked away and Grover looked queasy.

"-and Annabeth agreed to the terms in order to protect her brothers. Throughout the majority of her life, Arachne has been whispering in her ear, telling Annabeth to do certain things that were in Arachne's own interest."

Thalia interrupted, this time with malice in her voice. "Percy's holding back. This included her giving Luke the scorpion he tried to kill Percy with, providing Luke with the poison for my tree, unleashing the Colchis Bulls, releasing the Nemean Lion, leading Grover to Polyphemus' lair-"

Grover shivered at the thought and began to eat a few cans lying around on the Ping-Pong table.

"-and not to mention, she was under orders to kill me, Luke, and Percy at different times. Though she was preparing to, she couldn't kill Luke and I, which resulted in a broken oath. The broken oath led to our fates as dead trees and Titan hosts…respectively. She was ready to kill Percy though, but Hera had taken him before she was able to."

Thalia finished with, "And now, she was told to kidnap Cyrene and take her to the Asopio Pool to bring Arachne back from Tartarus. She refused at first, ready to break her oath again, but Arachne said that she has Annabeth's brothers' lives in her hands. All she has to do is use Cyrene to bring her back. Once she does that, Matthew and Bobby are free and Annabeth's oath is dissolved. She must've known that Percy would have stopped her, because she did everything in her power to create diversions to distract Percy from getting close to her. We need to stop her."

Thalia injected so much venom into that last statement, that it made Percy's blood turn to ice. Chiron kneeled, which looked strange due to his four legs. His face looked pale in the setting sunlight that came through the window. "I see…I see. Arachne has done what was only theoretically explored; tricked a person into an oath on the River Styx by prompting them to take the oath in ignorance of its actual power. You two need to stop her. The Asopio Pool is located-"

"On the very bottom floor of the Belvedere Castle in Central Park, New York. Yeah, I know," Thalia interjected in turn. Percy couldn't believe how contesting and off-kilter Thalia was being.

However, Chiron nodded gravely; his mind seemed to be somewhere else. "A word of advice for you all, though. At the Belvedere Castle is the being Mormo. Mormo is a gender-changing monster, known for appearing as male, female, and androgynous across the centuries. It changes genders based upon the sexual preferences of those in its presence and prefers the pronoun of _they_ when people refer to her, so I will be using that to describe her to you."

Percy, Grover and Thalia nodded.

Chiron nodded and continued. "Mormo is vampiric demon who was once the consort of Hecate herself. They are _very_ formidable and also…supernaturally gifted in bringing out… _ahem_ …libido in any individual who is in their presence."

Percy blanched; he had never faced a monster who had a sexual component to them before. Especially not a monster who is simultaneously a vampire and a demon. His mind went through all the different ways that the encounter with Mormo may go, each of them being that Mormo makes a move on Thalia and Percy and Grover are forced to get creative with how they kill them. But what Percy was really interested in was how Chiron managed to use his vocabulary and pacing to deliver hat statement in his usual classy manner. Somehow, he told them what Mormo can do without having to say it out loud.

Grover chewed on a can, but had a confused expression on his face. "What's libido?"

That was exactly what Percy, Thalia, and Chiron wanted to avoid explaining. Percy ran his fingers through his hair as Chiron's tail skittered nervously. Percy put his finger on his nose, followed by Chiron, then Thalia a split-second behind. Thalia groaned, face-palmed herself and sighed. "She makes anyone around her horny, Grover. Sexually aroused."

Grover yelped and the can dropped. "Yikes…I can sit this one out if you all need me to. I don't need Juniper coming to the castle, chasing after this monster with a stick."

Chiron shook his head. "All of you must go through that Castle in order for all of you to go through the Asopio Pool. You would at least have to be in the Castle with them."

Grover gulped and Percy was about to think how he could get away from encountering Mormo directly. He then realized that he was thinking as if he still had Annabeth as a girlfriend, which he did not. Percy's heart suddenly fluttered and his petal glowed blue. He had the craziest thought; he wondered if he and Annabeth were still together, especially since they never officially broke up.

 _Sure, she kidnapped Cyrene and plans to sacrifice her to bring a large evil spider back to life. Every couple goes through that strain,_ Percy thought to himself. He then shook his head at how dumb that thought was.

It made Percy wish that Annabeth was here; he felt at his best whenever he was with her. He thought about how exciting and fun missions were with her, and the petal on his wrist turned a deep violet.

Chiron looked at the petal on Percy's wrist with curiosity. He was probably glad to change the subject. "Percy, what is that on your wrist?"

Grover and Thalia both trained their attention onto his wrist, which made Percy feel under the spotlight. He held his wrist out. "I would tell you if I remembered the name, but it is a petal from one of the flowers that I planted on Ogygia, and the petal glows or burns a specific color based on how I'm feeling at that moment."

Thalia interjected. "And what does deep violet mean?"

Grover regarded him and Percy realized that the petal kind of did what Grover could do via their empathy link and his satyr emotion-reading abilities. Though Grover and Chiron could probably guess the answer, Percy answered, "Heartache."

Thalia's eyes shook a bit, then she looked to the floor. Chiron and Grover glanced at each other. The air got a bit warmer and more uncomfortable. Percy sighed and realized that he was still holding the bag with the note, phone, and Minotaur's horn. Now it was his turn to be grateful to have a change in subject.

"Chiron, do you know a demigod who goes here named Kofi?"

Chiron nodded, and a ghost of a smile flickered on his face. "Kofi Ekuban. His father lives and is from the West African Country of Ghana, and his mother is the goddess Tyche, the goddess of fortune, luck, and chance. He is one of two people in Tyche, along with Chiara Benvenuti. Have you met him yet? He reminds me a lot of you."

Percy nodded, barely containing his smile. He thought that it was really cool how big Camp Half-Blood has expanded; there were people coming from far and wide to train there. He held the bag out to Chiron. "Did you mind putting this on his bed for when he comes back? I saw him outside scaling the climbing wall, and I would like him to come back to that on his bed."

Chiron took it and nodded. "I will do so. My stealth skills are unparalleled."

Percy stared at the centaur. He couldn't tell if it was a joke or not because his face was deadly serious and the delivery was deadpan. Percy turned his attention to the silver and black ring with the obsidian jewel on it. It glowed with pale white energy, as if it knew it was about to get used. Grover stepped towards a shadow in the Big House and Thalia and Percy followed.

Thalia told them, "All right, think of the Belvedere Castle in Central Park, New York."

They did so, and together, they melted into the darkness.


	20. Chapter 20

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or any related characters! Please, please, PLEASE review if you read; all feedback is greatly appreciated. You all are awesome, and thank you for reading my story!**

They fell out of a shadow cast by a large tree. Percy noticed that the group was getting more and more adjusted to shadow traveling, since Grover only threw up for one minute this time. They had landed at the edge of a forest. Percy left from underneath the tree and walked towards the open area, with Thalia and Grover following. The sky was purple now, beginning to turn a dark blue. Percy looked down at his bracelet; it was glowing a light purple. He looked around. There were a few rock benches; the huge, immovable rocks that have a smooth enough top that people can sit on them comfortably. An old man was sitting on one of the rock benches, feeding a few pigeons around him. There was a small lake in front of them, about 150 feet wide. Across the lake was a castle.

It was a large, old school castle with gray bricks of various shadings. It looked like four 100-foot-tall buildings had been smashed together into one structure. Each of the adjacent buildings had old, Victorian style windows on them, and all the way to the left of the four-building structure was a huge column that looked like a light-tower. It stood about fifty feet higher than the rest of the castle building and had the American flag on it. It reminded Percy about how the Greek gods shifted to make its home in the United States. The entire castle looked like it belonged in ancient times, and all that was missing was a dragon and a princess (Percy hoped there was neither). The structure stood on a large rock structure that looked to be its support. It was surrounded by trees that looked dark due to the purplish-blue sky. Percy heard some owls making noise in the distance and began to get uneasy; it was nighttime and they were supposed to go inside a castle, meet a vampire-demon, and then go to the Underworld? He didn't know if that was his best idea.

Thalia and Grover stepped up on either side of him. Grover looked at the area. "How are we supposed to get across?"

Percy grinned as an idea popped into his head. His petal glowed a light yellow. He put both of his hands out for his friends to take. Thalia took his first. Grover hesitated for a second, then put his hand in Percy's as well. Percy sprinted towards the water and both of his friends screamed for their lives. Once they hit water, Percy began to concentrate. He kept running and he let go of his friends' hands. He screamed at them to keep running.

Thalia told him, "We'll sink!"

Percy shook his head. "Not if you trust me!"

And he ran across the water. As he was running, he created what some call "hard water," which is water with an increased buoyancy (he thought that was the term) so as to allow individuals to walk and/or run over it. He wondered if Jesus may have been a son of Poseidon, especially due to the water to wine act and the running across water, but he remembered Chiron saying that they "shan't deal with the metaphysical."

Water splashed upwards behind and Percy as he sprinted across the lake. His duffel bag was banging his leg as he was running, so he took it off and slid it as hard as he could over the straight hard water path that he had made to the castle. The duffel bag slid as if it was sliding down a water slide and made it to the other side quickly. He made the entire lake into hard water. It felt like he was running on a hardwood floor that was flooded by about an inch of water. He remembered that this concept was proposed by Annabeth in theory, when she was giving him all the different ways that his powers could be utilized. Percy heard his friends' footsteps; they had trusted him and were running on the lake as well. Thalia was screaming in excitement as Grover was screaming in terror. Percy heard the old man back on the shore say, "Look at those crazy kids. Going out to canoe whenever they feel like it. I miss my canoe."

Percy heard and felt something on the back of his neck. He turned to see Thalia pass him. She had perfect running form and every step seemed to be another clap of thunder. She turned to him and her electric blue eyes were flashing with excitement and exhilaration. She continued to run and Percy felt his competitive spirit stir. He sprinted as fast as he could, almost overtaking Thalia. They ran side by side for a few seconds and he flashed her a grin. The gesture took a lot out of him since he was putting his all into running, but he wanted to make it seem like he wasn't exerting too much. However, she smiled back at him and poured on the speed, and she was gone with the wind.

As Percy continued to sprint for second place, he realized that Thalia was only going maybe forty percent. Conversely, Grover was fifty feet behind Percy, panting and telling them to slow down. Percy got to the other side of the lake, about a full twenty seconds behind Thalia. When she had reached the other side, she had taken a huge leap and landed on one of the rocks in the structure that was holding up the castle. In an attempt to match her coolness, Percy had gotten to the other side and used a water blast to propel him up to the same rock structure Thalia was on. He put out his hand and a blast of water propelled his duffel bag to him, which he caught and slung over his chest. He put his hands on his hips, and pointed his head to the sky, taking in as much oxygen as he could. "Good…run…Wonder Woman."

Thalia grinned and patted him on the back. Grover got to their side about ten seconds later, and took about the same amount of time to scale the rocks to where they were. Together, they hiked up the rocks until they got to the top one in the structure. They looked up and saw that the highest window of the castle was about thirty feet up; they would have to be Spider-Man to reach that window. Grover had the same idea that Percy had, "Thalia, you think you can float us up to the window using the air currents?"

Thalia shook her head quickly. "I'm good." She took out her spear and gave a savage tomahawk to the castle brick. When the spear contacted the brick, an electric charge erupted out of it, blowing a steaming hole into the castle. Grover and Percy glanced at each other and followed Thalia as she forged into the castle.

The castle was pitch black, unconsciously prompting Percy's wolf senses to go into overdrive. He smelled old furniture and old blood. He heard a few creaks within the castle, but the path in front of them was so black that it looked like a portal to the dimension that people shadow travel through. Percy's petal glowed a deep yellow, which he put together as being the color of him being nervous. Luckily, Thalia opened her hands and materialized a flashlight, allowing them to see in front of them. The three of them saw that they had blasted straight into a large, dark, windy staircase that descended into darkness. Each stair was large, each almost four feet wide and six feet long.

Thalia shined her light down the staircase, only to see more blackness. "Mormo and the entrance to the Asopio pool are a hundred flights down these stairs, according to the modern legend. Since we came through an unorthodox way, I'm not sure what number flight we entered in, but it must be less than hundred. Let's go."

Thalia led the group with her flashlight held vigilantly in front of them. They cautiously went down the cyclical stairs and Percy began to hear small chittering, as well as something that he thought were growls. The smell of old blood was getting closer to them, prompting Percy to take Riptide out lest the smell of old blood became the smell of _their_ blood. Each time they completed a flight of stairs, a torch about twelve feet up the wall lit on fire, illuminating a much larger platform that was about ten feet wide and twelve feet long. It reminded Percy of the checkpoints in video games, so that when his character died, they could start at the checkpoint instead of starting over.

They had only gotten past one flight of stairs when Percy's hair on his arms stood up. Adrenaline coursed through his body and he gripped Riptide with both hands, ready to cleave through whatever threat was approaching. Grover stopped as well, sniffing and listening. Thalia didn't hear Percy and Grover stop their progress, so she continued to go down the steps. She was about ten steps down when she finally stopped and shined the flashlight in their direction, momentarily blinding them and killing any night vision they had developed. "You guys okay?"

Thalia's voice seemed to cut through the darkness and into them; it was so human that it almost caught Percy off guard among all the animalistic noises and bestial scents. Grover nodded. "Yeah, but Percy's having one of those hunting danger senses that he has."

Thalia looked around and shined the flashlight around the stairwell. "I don't see any-"

As fast as sound, a small gray blur phased through the wall, grabbed Thalia's flashlight, and hopped down five minutes' worth of stairs, running away. Thalia screamed, "HEY!" However, her response was lost to the echoes of the chamber. Percy gripped Riptide even harder and Grover got his knives out. Grover whispered to Percy, "That thing was unnaturally quick. We need to get to Thalia now. We need to get ready to make a unified front."

Percy agreed, and on a telepathic " _Three!"_ they sprinted down the stairs to Thalia. As soon as they moved, they heard animalistic growling and hissing. Percy located the sounds to being all around them as opposed to being faint or in the distance. Once they made it to Thalia, Percy's senses were working overtime. He was using every single sense he could possibly use; he could see shapes moving in the darkness, he could smell the old blood coming towards them, he could hear the chittering/hissing moving and shifting around them, slowly getting closer, he could taste the suddenly increased humidity and warmth within the chamber. Through his feet's contact with the stair they were on, he could feel the small vibrations of… _something_ moving towards them. Riptide's glow was giving them a limited amount of light, along with Thalia's spear, which she made sparkle with electricity. Percy's petal was now _burning_ a deep yellow.

Grover looked back at Thalia in the darkness. "You can't make another one of those flashlights?"

"What, you think there's an unlimited amount of them?"

"Yes! YES, that's exactly what I think."

"Focus," Percy said as his petal changed to a faint red color. He wasn't used to being the serious one, but he was getting a seriously bad feeling about this. Just as fast as the first one, four gray blurs phased up from the floor. Two stole Grover's knives and Thalia's spear in one motion while two knocked Grover and Thalia down. Percy swung with Riptide, but the blurs were fifty feet up by that time. Thalia growled and opened her hands, forming a bow and arrow. Grover pulled out his reed pipes, but those were stolen just as quickly by another gray blur that came flying in from the side. "Aw, come ON," was Grover's response.

Percy became antsy; celestial bronze was a rare enough metal that it would feasibly be of some interest to these thieving blurs. Percy didn't want to take a risk of them stealing Riptide and him being momentarily weaponless, so he capped his sword and it shrank to a pen, allowing him to stick in deep into his battle pants pocket. He concluded that whatever these thieving spirits were, they were going to be almost impossible to stop. They were too fast and had virtually impeccable hand-eye coordination; they never missed anything they were aiming for.

"We need to start going down, now. We can't be waiting on one step for them to prey on us. If your weapons are gone, take some from my duffel bag, which they'll most likely take soon. We can lose those if need be, we just need to get to the bottom or else we'll end up without any clothes. Let's go!"

Percy hustled down the winding stairs, leaping and flipping over multiple stairs at once. Thalia and Grover followed his lead. Using Lupa's sensory training, Percy could tell exactly where every step, railing, and gap was, allowing him to move as quickly as his sprint time. Torches erupted in fire as the trio flew past them. They began to make good progress. He thought it was crazy how comfortable he became with stunts like these. Thalia was holding her own due to her skills as a Hunter, and Grover used his exceptionally balanced satyr-legs to keep up. Percy realized mid-flip that if any other demigod was on this quest, they would have been overtaken immediately. He made a mental note to himself to require Lupa-style training to every demigod, because they will be in a situation like this one, where weapons are useless.

However, the faster they moved, the more aggressive the gray blurs became. It was almost like they were getting more and more threatened by their increasingly fast pace. When Percy, Thalia, and Grover were moving at top speed, the blurs were roaring and screaming while stealing everything they could, from spears to swords, to shields, to hats, to oranges, to ambrosia, to finally the duffel bag itself. Percy was lucky that he still had Riptide, but that was only because it was safely tucked into his pocket. Their groove was stopped when one of them changed their approach and slammed into Grover. Percy heard Grover go flying into a wall at the bottom of one of the stair-sets. Unfortunately, Percy and Thalia were a hundred stairs down already before his reaction time picked up Grover's absence.

Percy stopped on a dime, pivoted and headed back up the stairs. The gray blurs seemed to be faked out. They seemed to have trouble stopping once they realized Percy wasn't heading down the stairs any more, but they changed directions and started to head up the stairs. As Percy was sprinting up, he used his left arm to wrangle Thalia out of the air mid-leap and pull her back up the stairs. He realized that he was holding her hand and he let go. They leapt back up to where Grover was, only to see him cornered by the beasts. Once Percy and Thalia stopped to look at Grover, they saw that they were cornered by beasts as well; the beasts that were following behind them as well as the ones that were in front of them had all gathered into this one corner. Percy counted at least two hundred of them, and if they weren't crowded around Grover, they were shrouded in shadows, perched upon old, dusty windows, railings and stairs as they growled towards them.

Percy got his first good look at the beasts. They were each about two feet tall, with gray leathery skin that hugged their bones so tightly that it looked like each one was sickly. It reminded him of Ella for a second, until he saw their teeth. They had rows and rows of teeth, all of them sharp and rusty. The smell of old blood was overpowering when all of them were there in the same space. They had no hair, and their ears pointed at a downwards angle as opposed to straight up. Their feet were clawed and pronged, like a gray, leathery rooster. They had blank, milky blue eyes, with a small white dot that seemed to be moving at a thousand miles to quickly spot their next target. He couldn't imagine the amount of stimuli that they were taking in over the span of one minute. They seemed to be twitching, as if they couldn't stop themselves from moving.

Percy saw that they were taking all of Grover's clothes, and decided to to take a gamble. He screamed, "HEY!"

All the small gray creatures turned towards him. Milky blue eyes and small, white dots trained onto him, glowing in the darkness and shaking as if they were moving at super-speed.

Thalia grunted. "Those are the Kobold. They're goblin-like creatures who love to steal and trick. They especially love rare or deadly weapons. I thought they had gone extinct!"

Percy thought that she sounded like Annabeth for a quick second, but pushed that out of his head. He took out his pen and whispered to Thalia, "Play along."

Thalia looked at him as Percy gave a brilliant grin to the league of tiny monsters. "It is you all's lucky day! Because in your presence is the hero, Percy Jackson!"

A ripple of excitement ran through the crowd of beasts. Percy thought they were probably calculating if they could just take him as a person. He saw Thalia roll her eyes in his peripheral vision. Percy continued. "And this is an item that is unique within the entire world…no one has ever possessed it before…you have not lived until you have seen…from OLYMPUS ITSELF, THIS PEN!"

Percy held up the pen, and the Kobold all tilted their heads in unison. Thalia caught on and presented it with jazz hands as if she was one of those women who present game show answers with a leg pop and a smile. One of them turned on Thalia's flashlight onto Percy, as if it was a spotlight. Another one spit light green saliva towards Percy, missing his head by an inch. Percy fought the urge to throw up and continued. "THIS PEN can write letters…and store ink…and make some cool beats! But this is no ordinary pen!"

Thalia decided to improvise. She grabbed his hand. "NO! Honey, we can't! We can't give it to them! It's too valuable and rare! It's worth a fortune!" She put her hand on her head and Hollywood fainted into him. Jitters, mutters and growls of excitement washed over the crowd of beasts. Percy wasn't sure why she decided to act like they were married, but he decided against arguing in the moment.

In a terrible thespian voice, Percy replied, "But we must, my love! Because this is no ordinary writing utensil…it's also…"

Percy uncapped it and Riptide sprang to life. The Kobold all gasped and began to clap. As many times as Percy has uncapped it, he still felt the urge to join in with the Kobold in praising this awesome weapon. As Percy expected, there were about sixteen gray blurs towards Riptide. Percy had planned for this and started swinging Riptide as soon as he had presented it. When the multiple gray blurs tried to take Riptide, mid-swing, he cut through them. They turned into dust, agitating the other Kobold. Percy got into a battle stance. "NOW! This sword also gives me increased reaction time. I am willing to give this to whoever behaves the best! I don't want to kill any of you, but the one who gives all our stuff back and follows behind us in a single file line will get the sword for themselves."

Thalia put her hands up as if she was herding campers. "Keep in mind, this celestial bronze sword is both a weapon… _and_ a pen!"

The reminder spurred the Kobold into action, and as a wave, they got in a line as well as returned the duffel bag full of weapons that they had taken. One of them handed Thalia her flashlight back. They passed Grover to us, passing him down a Kobold-edition assembly line like an artist crowd-surfing. When he got to Percy and Thalia, they felt bad for him. Grover had no clothes on, a few black eyes, scars, and his horns looked like they had tried to take it out of his head. His eyes were wide and shaking, and he was just barely whimpering. Through their empathy link, Percy felt pure fear. He couldn't imagine being attacked by the Kobold in a pitch-black castle was anyone's idea of activities for the sane.

Thalia led the way with her flashlight and Percy carried Grover down the stairs, along with his duffel bag. Grover was surprisingly light, maybe about a hundred pounds. Torches erupted into flames as they descended the stairs. The Kobold followed along obediently, but every few minutes or so, they would start to get restless. However, Percy would hold Riptide up and the celestial bronze glow would hypnotize the creatures into obedience once more. After a solid hour of walking, they finally reached the bottom of the stairs, which led to a door that stood about ten feet tall. The door seemed to be Victorian-era, with red and purple stained glass in the center. The stained glass depicted a woman with chalk white skin devouring a child, which eerily reminded Percy of Arachne. Thalia turned and nodded to Percy.

 _This is where Mormo is,_ Percy thought. Thalia pushed open the door and it led into a large, dark corridor. The corridor was lit with torches on either side every ten feet or so. It was lined with a long lavender carpet and it stretched about ninety feet to another door. Percy had an idea of how he was going to get rid of the Kobold; they wouldn't be docile forever. Percy deliberately left the entrance door open. He and Thalia marched to the end of the corridor, and he gave Grover to Thalia. He pushed open the door and forced Thalia and Grover through the door.

He began to exit the corridor, but as he did, he tossed Riptide in the middle of the room. The Kobold swarmed it, and Percy exited the corridor while slamming the door behind him. Percy took a few long wood beams that were right by the door and put it through the door handles so they wouldn't open easily. Percy knew his pen would return to his pocket in a matter of seconds, and just waited for them to realize as such. Until that happened though…

Percy knelt and put his hand on the cob-web filled floor. Though it was an old building, he still knew that this structure was used for tours and other attractions for visitors…so they must have water. He felt the water moving like vibrations under the floorboards. He felt the water move through the pipes, going their usual route towards sinks, fountains, water fountains and toilets. Percy also felt the water in the lake outside. His gut tugged, and in one silent command, Percy willed all nearby water to come to him. In a bit of guided chaos, he felt the toilets burst, the sinks crack, and the fountains explode one by one. The water from the lake flowed in through the hole that Thalia had made earlier in the evening. All the water from the multiple sources met at the top of the stairwell, and, in a huge wave, flowed straight to him. Percy closed his eyes and felt what the water felt; he willed it through down the stairs.

Percy felt his pen return to his pocket and he smiled to himself. The Kobold began to bang on the doors, undoubtedly wailing about how they had gotten cheated and they want a refund of their time and energy. However, before they could break it down, Percy felt the water crash through the corridor door that he had left open. He willed all the water to crash and swirl through that room, but willed none of it from seeping underneath the door that he, Thalia, and Grover were behind. Percy had created a cyclone of coursing water. The Kobold may have been fast in the castle, but they were terrible swimmers. He could feel them struggling to stay afloat.

In a moment that scared even himself, Percy said through gritted teeth, "This is for Grover." Some of the water by the first open corridor door formed into a hard water hand and closed the corridor door to create a cage for the Kobold; they were trapped in the area between the first and the second corridor doors. The water level began to rise to a height that almost as high as the ceiling. And one by one, the Kobold began to drown. Percy felt every drowning, every single kick, thrash, and final roar they gave. Percy continued to will the water to swirl around and within a span of three minutes, the Kobold in the castle were dead. Percy released control, and the water spilled underneath the first corridor door.

Percy was breathing heavily and turned to see his friends' reactions. However, in all his effort drowning the Kobold, he saw that he was in a very big room. The room was covered with stained glass and murals, that were all red and purple colors. Red velvet lined the floors, and around the perimeter of the room were cages of beings of all different races and breeds, from humans to monsters to animals. There was a large bed at the back of the room, bigger than any human should need; it could have fit ten large men. Lined along the walls were torches that burned rotating colors of red, orange, and purple. The sight right in front of Percy made his breath catch in his throat.

His friends had been tied up and gagged by two large, muscular telkhines. He recognized the sleek bodies and the dog faces from his adventure investigating Hephaestus' forges. Percy was especially worried, however, that he didn't even smell him or hear him while he was drowning the Kobold; was he in such a rage that he didn't hear them? Or are they odorless and soundless? The telkhines holding his friends captive were about ten feet apart. Between the monsters was a red satin couch about ten feet long. There was a woman with pale-ish white skin lying on the couch in a suggestive manner.

She was human sized, about 5'10 and she had on a revealing maid's costume with fishnet stockings. Her toned arms and thick legs coursed with muscles and power. She had long, dark black hair that reached the bottom of her stomach. She had one of those mature faces that looked anywhere from 25 to 45 years of age. Her hair reminded Percy of Medusa's snake hair. What struck Percy about her most was her eyes. She had black eye shadow that covered a lot of the area around her eyes, but her eyes were glowing a soft purple.

She smiled at him. She had four small, sharp fangs that gave an animalistic quality to her grin. Percy took in her smell, which was the most intoxicating thing he had ever smelled. Despite his friends being held captive, Percy noticed that his…libido was definitely being aroused. His petal glowed a deep orange.

This was Mormo. And she (they?) was _sexy_.


	21. Chapter 21

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or any related characters! Please, please, PLEASE review if you read; all feedback is greatly appreciated. You all are awesome, and thank you for reading my story!**

Percy could barely see straight. His mind was continuing to play one specific thing repeatedly, and he could not shake it out of his head. He felt like he was in a haze and he was almost too disoriented to reach for Riptide. Mormo stood up and walked towards Percy. Her… _their_ (Percy remembered their pronoun preference) glowing purple irises were striking and it continued to captivate Percy. They stopped three feet from him, looked him up and down, and proceeded to walk a complete circle around him. He heard the beings around the room saying very faintly, almost to themselves, "Left heart…its heart is on the left…"

Percy couldn't take the time to interpret what it meant, and even if he did have the time, his body did not want to take it. It wanted to engage in one activity that could be done in multiple ways. His petal burned a deep orange.

Suddenly, the image of Smelly Gabe flashed through his head which sobered him up to the point where he could see clearly. His petal glowed a lime green, then back to a deep orange that didn't burn so brightly. His libido was still activated, but he was much more focused. Mormo sashayed back to his front and looked him in the eyes.

"The great Percy Jackson…I have heard about your exploits from far and wide. It has been so…long since I've had blood from the sea. Alas, it is an honor." Mormo's voice was low and sultry, and they bowed to him. They straightened up after a second and cocked their head, producing loud neck-cracking noises. The room's torches had turned into yellow flames, and the beings in cages were staring at the exchange.

"Do you know who I am?" The question was dripping with predatory vibes. Percy was starting to fall under the haze again, but another image of Smelly Gabe with his shirt off flashed through his head again, and he sobered up once more. He flashed his eyes towards Grover, who was glaring at him; just as Percy had once sent him the image of pancakes via their empathy link (to wake Grover up from a multi-month nap courtesy of Morpheus), Grover was sending him pictures of his disgusting former house-mate, Gabe Ugliano.

Percy pulled his eyes back to the vampire-demon. They were positioned in front of him with their knees slightly turned inward, giving them a slightly submissive appearance. However, based upon the cages around the room, they were no pushover. He had to be smart about this.

"You're Mormo. Former consort of Hecate. Uh…and you prefer _they_ as a pronoun…? That's all I have on you."

Mormo gave a canine smile. "Oh, Perseus, you are so cute. Because I am in the form of a female now, feel free to refer to me by the traditional feminine pronouns. But regarding Hecate-"

She threw her head back and gave a soft _mmmm._ "Hecate…now she was a magical mate. She took one taste of me and couldn't let go. We made love on the moon itself, multiple times. Would you like a taste? I can give you what you seem to be sorely lacking."

Percy had a hard time thinking, especially since she said that she has been on the moon. He cleared his throat. "Ma'am, just one question; can you let my friends go?"

She blinked and looked behind her as if she just remembered she was holding his best friends captive. She skulked over to Thalia and got uncomfortably close to her. Mormo put her neck down and began to smell Thalia. " _Mm._ So strong and lithe. But I was right. This one does smell of Artemis and Zeus. Did they finally get together?"

The thought of Artemis and Zeus doing something _ever_ was so disgusting, it took Percy right out of his trance. "No, she's a Hunter of Artemis and one of the bravest people I've ever met. She's a hero."

As Percy was talking, Mormo was examining Thalia like a piece of meat to buy from the store. "Mm-hmm, I love heroes. So _noble._ Go on, Perseus."

Percy didn't know what she was doing, but he tried to continue. "Uh…she helped us defeat the Nemean Lion and Atlas. She has had countless adventures where she fights for everyone but herself. There are people and animals living today who would not be if not for Thalia. And I believe that she can do some more good in her life, so it would be great if you could let her go."

Mormo nodded and prowled over to Grover, who whimpered something that sounded suspiciously like a _"Help."_

"And what about this one, Poseidon-spawn?"

She sniffed him and Grover began to give her a look that Percy had never seen before.

Percy immediately made the quickest decision that he had ever made in his entire life; he decided that he never wanted to see that look on Grover _ever_ again. He flashed Grover pictures of the Kobold, which frightened him back to reality.

Percy took a breath. "Searcher for Olympus, part of the Council of the Cloven Elders, the wielder of the Panic, helped us defeat both Kronos and Gaea."

Mormo looked Grover up and down and headed back to Percy. She put a hand on his chest and ran it down his chest, _dangerously_ low. Percy made a strangled sound in the back of her throat, prompting Mormo to give him a fanged smile. "All these beings around the room are my…employees. I hesitate to use the word _slave_ because they do something for me and I give them something."

"What do you give them?" Percy regretted the question as soon as it came out of his mouth.

She gave him another smile. "Endless orga-"

"Can you let my friends go, please?"

She looked hurt for a second, seemed to decide something for herself, then smiled. "Sure. Let them go."

The huge telkhines let Thalia and Grover go, as well as removed their gags. As soon as Thalia was free, she headbutted her telkhine as hard as she could, sending it to the ground. The other telkhine aimed its weapon, but Thalia kicked the couch so hard that it slid and took out her adversary's legs. The telkhine flipped over and landed face down on the couch. Thalia took out her spear, and in one savage thrust, jammed her spear through the telkhine's neck so far that it protruded into the floor.

Mormo watched Thalia and smiled, clapping. There was something oddly genuine about Mormo; she just wanted to do one thing with as many people as possible. "You are quite impressive. I would've had you tonight, but your immortality protects you from my charms. So I needed to settle for this one." She gestured towards Percy, which made him feel self-conscious.

Mormo walked over to Percy. "But you should do just fine. You and your friends are free to go."

Percy blinked. He looked over to his friends; Grover seemed just as surprised while Thalia looked furious. The torches in the room burned purple. Percy turned towards Mormo. "Just like that."

She licked her lips. "Of course. As long as I can have your body."

Percy's body rippled with tension, but he fought it. "Look, I'm flattered, but I can't do that. I'm on a serious mission and-"

Thalia screamed, "He won't do it, you sick, rapist, psycho mother-"

In a flash, Mormo zoomed over to Thalia and Grover and held them by their necks. Percy was still facing where she was, she had moved that fast. He turned and saw that she was crushing their throats.

The flames around the room turned bright purple. The telkhines and the rest of the beings in the cages seemed to shrink. She whipped towards Percy. The fire in the room reflected the fury in her purple eyes. "You _DARE_ reject me?!"

Percy made a split decision. "WAIT! Wait…you can have me."

Mormo smiled and dropped them to the ground, leaving them gasping hoarsely for air. "Good. Your friends can watch then."

She waved her hand and a few padded chairs magically scooted up so they were about ten feet away and facing the couch. She beckoned the one remaining telkhine to pick his brother's body off the couch, and then sat Percy down on that same couch. She flicked her hand and Thalia and Grover were pulled by an invisible force to one chair each. Ropes from the chair came from the back and pulled them against the seat so they were forced to straighten up and look towards Mormo. Percy saw red markings around both their throats, and he felt disgusted. However, Mormo grabbed his face and kissed him, long and deep.

Her kiss was oddly intoxicating, almost like Kelli and Tammi's smell or Circe's magic. The only thing was that it was _cold._ It was almost like she was using him for warmth. Once she had kissed him, though, he found himself wanting another…and another. She turned around so her back was to Percy and sat on his lap; not on his knees or his thighs, but _right_ on his lap. She was facing Thalia and Grover. Grover had his eyes closed while Thalia was glaring at Mormo. The vampire-demon was _really_ warm and Percy shifted uncomfortably. He didn't know why, but he felt like he was cheating on…someone… and he needed to get out of this situation as soon as possible. If that wasn't enough to bring Percy out of his haze, endless pictures of Clarisse, Smelly Gabe, Dionysus and Ares were sent to his head via Grover's empathy link, also helping to suppress his libido.

Mormo smiled at Thalia and Grover as if they were guests for a regular meal. "So, how was the trip here? What is you all's business here?"

Percy figured that this was the weirdest interrogation he's ever been through. Mormo's hair smelled like a campfire; an odd scent for anyone to have on them. Grover opened his eyes. "We were trying to get to the Asopio Pool; we need to protect Percy's sister from a former ally."

Mormo nodded politely, and she started to slowly grind into Percy. "Yes…an outside source told me that three heroes would be coming."

 _Annabeth._ Percy realized that Annabeth let him know that she was going to the Asopio Pool because she was betting that he'd get there first using those rings. As a result, he just killed the whole Kobold, allowing Annabeth, Nico, and Cyrene easy passage down the stairs once they come. Percy felt like a fool. He should've realized that Annabeth was going to play this smart; a lot smarter than he could ever be. She was also probably waiting for them to kill Mormo so she wouldn't have to encounter her.

Mormo turned her head to Thalia as she started to gyrate into Percy's body. The images of unattractiveness kept flashing through his head, courtesy of Grover, but one of the biggest non-stimulators was Thalia. She had turned her glare onto him, and it made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

Mormo gave a smile. "And you, Hunter?"

She grumbled, "The same thing as the goat just said."

Mormo fake pouted. "Aw, someone's not feeling good. But that's not why you're really here. Why are you _really_ here? Is it for Percy here? Do you like him?"

Thalia's scowl deepened. "Never."

Percy felt a twinge in his heart that he chalked up to him being offended that she would "never" like him. He likened it to if Nico went up to him and said that he would never, ever date Percy. Though he has no vested interest in whether Nico wants to date him or not, him saying no that strongly is almost insulting.

Mormo laughed. "Oh, I don't know about that, Thalia. Even though you're an immortal, I can still feel your libido."

Thalia paled and Mormo gave a smile as she pressed down hard on Percy, eliciting a noise from his throat.

Percy had an idea. He gave a deep breath. His libido began to increase by his own doing, and Mormo could feel it. She yelped and threw her head back, grinding onto him. " _Mmmm…_ YES!"

He slid his hand around her throat, lightly choking her as she rolled her neck. His other hand roamed freely, wherever elicited sounds of pleasure or happiness from her. His petal burned a deep orange. He started to participate in her grinding, making Mormo yelp again. "Poseidon-spawn…I can feel you."

Percy grinned evilly and grabbed her ear, biting it a little bit, then moving down to her neck. His hand went to his pants. Mormo relaxed and allowed herself to be taken over. Percy controlled her, giving more than he was receiving while avoiding doing anything too explicit with Grover and Thalia watching. Thalia kept her eyes on him the entire time, but the look in her eyes was unreadable.

Finally, Mormo turned around with a grunt and faced him, licking her lips. She went in for a kiss and Percy uncapped his pen, sending Riptide plunging straight into her left heart. Mormo's body doubled over and she struggled to breathe. She shakily looked at Percy, caressing him one last time as she crumbled into dust. He threw Riptide on a frozen rope towards the other telkhine, killing him.

Percy stood up, dusting the residue off of him. When he stood up, he heard screams of complaints and terror from Grover. The satyr was closing his eyes and turning his head anywhere but in Percy's direction. "AH! MAKE IT STOP! MAKE IT GO AWAY! IT'S HORRIBLE."

He looked towards Thalia, who gestured towards his pants with a ghost of a smile. Percy saw the physical manifestation of his libido was still going strong. He screamed and ducked behind the couch. He thought about Smelly Gabe repeatedly and he was safe. He stood back up, but Grover was still panicking.

Percy sighed as he watched Grover panic. "Dude. I'm good."

Grover peeked and straightened back up. "Whew, good. Now that's settled, get us out of these restraints, please. I have had enough of your libido for a long time."

"Likewise."

Percy picked up Riptide and sliced through their magical bonds. Grover sprang up and started to pace the room. Thalia looked warily at Percy. "So that was all an act?"

Percy nodded as he slung his duffel bag against his shoulder. "Yeah, of course."

Thalia sniffed. "I don't know…you seemed to get pretty into it."

He stopped and grabbed Thalia's shoulders. "It was part of the act. Even though she had this supernatural ability to make me…feel a certain way, I have better control over my body than she thought. I needed her to let her guard down so she got carried away, and when she had done that, I reached into my pants pocket and uncap Riptide. One of the prisoners told me to stab her in the left heart, which is what I did. And plus, you and Grover were in trouble. I fought to keep that at the front of my mind."

Thalia shrugged his arms off and rubbed her neck. She looked at Percy up and down. "Mm-hm."

Grover bleated. "Guys, over here!"

Percy and Thalia jogged over to the huge bed and watched as Grover tipped the entire thing over. Positioned underneath it was a mahogany brown cellar door with a horizontal black handle. It had Ancient Greek letters inscribed into it. Thalia read it over and repeated out loud, " _Here lies the door to the pool of sacrifice."_

Percy's heart twisted. This was the door to the Asopio Pool, where Cyrene was supposed to be sacrificed to bring back Arachne. But was Annabeth even coming to this pool? Was she even coming today? She could be coming here tomorrow. There were so many things that Percy started to re-think, but Thalia came to a decision for him.

"Let's get in there." Thalia and Grover took hold of the one large handle and pulled, but nothing happened. They pulled once more, and Thalia looked at Grover. "Put your back into it."

Grover made a face and they pulled once more; it wasn't budging. Thalia pushed him out the way and Percy saw she had a spear in her hand. She lifted her spear and thrust it down to the door as hard as she could, channeling lightning through the strike as well. However, it only left a char mark on the door, which disappeared quickly. Percy's heart shrunk a bit; what if they couldn't get it open? However, Grover had brought his thinking cap.

"Wait, Percy, about your dream. What did she say she needed Nico for?"

Percy recalled the information. "She needed him to 'get to the Underworld.'"

Thalia put her spear on her back. She had a black, long-sleeve shirt that had some of Artemis' lightweight armor woven into it. She had silvery camo pants and her hair was worn down once again. She sighed. "It seems like Nico is her key to the Underworld; this is one of those entrances to the Underworld that can only be opened by a child of Hades. I don't know if we _can_ open it."

Percy's petal turned a strong red. It seemed like Annabeth had everything planned. She had Nico, she had Greek fire, she has a powerful sword, and she has his sister. However, every time that Percy would make a breakthrough, they would into another setback, undoubtedly engineered by Annabeth herself. Sometimes he was in awe at how intelligent she was, and other times, he was just annoyed. This was one of the rare times where he was feeling both.

Thalia turns to Percy. "Percy. You told me that Annabeth had reached out to a mutual friend of you two, a young woman who happened to be proficient in…Egyptian magic, was it? Is there anybody that you know that can utilize some otherworldly magic?"

Percy opened his hand and saw a small enchantment in the inside of it. He remembered Sadie's brother, Carter Kane. Carter was also an Egyptian magician, but more of a warrior than a magician. Or were they all magicians? He recalled that he was… the son of Horus…? He was Horus' host? Either way, Percy remembered that Carter was a powerful magician and was respected among the Egyptian gods and the top-tier magicians. He remembered that all he had to do was say Carter's name.

Percy breathed. "Thalia, Grover, step to the side. I'm going to try something."

He took a breath. He hoped that Annabeth hadn't told Sadie some fabrication of the true events, resulting in Carter seeing him as a threat. That could get very sloppy if Carter came out the gate swinging. He would hate to see him with a spear in his throat (which seems to be Thalia's favorite move now) or Grover trapped in the Duat.

But, he needed to try something; they couldn't just stay there until Annabeth showed up.

"Carter Kane."

The floor began to rumble and a golden portal opened right next to him. Thalia leveled her spear towards the portal. As the gateway spun open, golden fiery sparks flew off, prompting Percy to dodge them. Through the portal came Carter Kane. His clothes…well, it was hard to explain. It was evident that he used to have a light blue dress shirt with khaki pants and Oxford shoes on. However, they seemed to be scorched off so badly that his shirt was hanging off his body in tatters. Thankfully, his pants were still mostly intact; Percy thought his friends had enough indecent exposure for the year. His coffee-brown skin seemed unhurt though, which Percy was glad about. His hair was cut and lined up so that he looked a few years older, as if he was going to college. He looked around the room, then locked eyes with Percy. He looked around one more time, then smiled, giving Percy a handshake.

"Yep, this seems to be the type of situation that I expected you to be in when you called me. It only took you a few years."

Percy grinned. "Hey, man. Look, we need to get into this cellar door, but it says that it is unable to be opened without a Son of Hades. I wanted to call you to see if you could possibly help…are you in the middle of a battle?"

Carter grinned at him. "Just got finished fighting one. I was just about to change clothes, but I can do this. I like the reasoning. A lot of things from both our worlds have specific rules, but usually those guidelines only apply to that specific world. So, a requirement to open a door to the Greek Underworld may be opened with a simple Egyptian spell, but not with the most complicated Greek spell…or attack, whatever you all call it."

Thalia nodded at him. "Impressive." Percy wondered if she was talking about Carter's intelligence, his Egyptian magic, or his nearly shirtless body. Either way was cause for Percy to roll his eyes.

"Yeah, so could you get the door open?"

Carter nodded approvingly and took a breath. "Sadie's usually the one with the spells, but I've learned a few from my Uncle Amos and others."

Carter knelt and examined the door. His finger trailed the Ancient Greek, and then he held out his hand. Out of a similar portal came a curved golden blade, and he gripped it tightly. Thalia and Grover hustled over to peer over his shoulders, while Percy was looking right above Carter's head. He turned it the curved blade on its head so he was grabbing the blade by the hilt, and drew three symbols in a triangle on the door. The one at the top of the triangle looked like a pair of bull's horns, or Minotaur's horns to be exact (Percy knew from experience). The second one, to the bottom right looked like a regular _X_ while the third one to the bottom left looked like a rectangle with the sides rounded off.

Carter's eyes glowed blue and spoke. " _W'Peh."_

A blue light glowed around the edges of the cellar door and then glowed golden. The doors sprung open and hit the floor loudly. Percy and Carter stepped forward to look through; it was just a funnel of deathly gray-white energy, ready for some foolish heroes to jump through. Carter looked at Percy. "That was all?"

Percy stuck out his hand and Carter dapped him up, which caught Percy off guard since Carter seemed to be more of a handshake guy. "That's it, man. Thank you so much! I hope you get some good clothes!"

Percy turned to jump in, but he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Carter looking at him sternly, with a regal grace. "Be careful, Percy."

The demigod nodded and Carter opened the golden portal once more. He waved bye to Thalia and Grover and gave Percy one last meaningful look before jumping through and having the portal disappear. Thalia and Grover came up on either side and stared at Percy for a few seconds. Eventually, Grover cleared his throat. "So…Egyptians?"

Percy fought a smile coming on. "Long story. I'll tell you all later. Is everyone good to go?"

Grover looked back. "What about the prisoners?" On cue, the things in the cages all banged their bars, asking to be let out.

Thalia pushed past Grover. "They willingly entered in that relationship for physical gratification and quickly grew tired of it. They can find their own way out without their mistress. You did enough for them by killing Mormo."

Grover hesitated and Percy felt a bad vibe in the room. "Grover…buddy…let's just go."

The satyr couldn't take it. He ran around the room destroying all the cages and letting humans, monsters, and animals of all sizes and types out. Percy's hair on the back of his neck stood up a bit; he felt the same way that he did when Lupa's wolf pack hadn't eaten in days. This group was hungry. It struck Percy and probably Grover too that they have probably not had much to eat besides fried Kobold. In unison, the beasts and beings all turned towards the trio and sprinted towards them with drool coming down.

Thalia yelled at Grover as he sprinted to the cellar door and jumped in. Thalia jumped in as well, grabbing Percy's ear and pulling him into the deathly gray portal to Hades.


	22. Chapter 22

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or any related characters! Please, please, PLEASE review if you read; all feedback is greatly appreciated. You all are awesome, and thank you for reading my story!**

Percy told himself that he would never jump into a shimmering, deathly gray-white energy portal again. It was, in a word, traumatizing. In the span of about six seconds, Percy felt his molecules explode and re-arrange repeatedly. His body was dissolving and being put back together; he was there, then he was not, then he was there, then he was not.

And then he was there. Finally, they came out of the body of a tree and landed hard on the ground. Percy saw that they had landed on a ground with black grass. Percy, Thalia and Grover shivered and stood up. Percy looked around; they had entered the Underworld through the body of a stunted black poplar tree. A swirling black energy portal was spinning on the tree, as if it was one of those age spots that trees have. Next to that tree were two similar trees, except they lacked the black portal. Behind them was a huge field full of people behind them. The crazy thing about it; it was nearly silent.

It was a huge wheat field that looked like it belonged in Kansas or another rural part of America. The grass and the wheat itself was black as well, and the sky was a swirling gray. Due to the gray sky, the black grass, and the overall atmosphere of death, it was very dark, as if people were standing outside in a field at midnight on a starless night. Everything and everyone seemed to be drained of color. The people were walking around trying to talk to one another, but nothing was coming out. They seemed to be very purposeful in what they were trying to communicate, but the other person wasn't understanding. After a few seconds of this interaction, the people would leave their temporary conversation partner and walk around once more. Their faces were blank, with a little bit of sadness etched into them. Percy recognized this field; he had seen it years ago.

Thalia stepped forward; though her shirt was black and her pants a silvery camo color, her Hunter aura made her body's silver outline/aura literally glow. She looked like an angel among the dead. Thalia looked around, her electric blue eyes glowing a light blue as well. In contrast, Percy's petal glowed a dark blue.

Thalia informed them, "The Fields of Asphodel."

Grover nodded; he had been here before. "The place where the neutral go after death. They drink from the River Lethe before entering the fields, losing their identities, memories, emotions, likes, dislikes; everything that makes them _individuals._ After that they just aimlessly walk around like machines."

Thalia shook her head sadly. "It's so devoid of…the spark of life. I remember Artemis told us that Hades gives a weird offer that sucks for some people and helps out a lot of people as well. He provides an 'EZ Death' train line that allows people to skip past their judgment. Everyone who chooses that option though, is deemed a specific type of coward and is sentenced here…to the nothingness."

Percy thought it simultaneously didn't make sense and made a weird kind of sense. He guessed that if a person refused to step up and be accountable for their actions in life, then the punishment of walking around aimlessly for all time makes a weird type of sense. But if someone had an awesome life, but they took the EZ death line because they were scared or insecure about their life, they drew the short stick and ended up here. Whether it made sense or not, Percy thought it wasn't fair. Everyone should have the opportunity to be judged.

Percy was pulled out of his thoughts by Grover saying, "Look." Percy followed his finger towards Hades' palace. It was the same glittering black palace with black columns, black marble portico, and just an overall black exterior. It stood amongst an icily beautiful and colorful garden, which Percy knew was the garden of Persephone. The castle and the garden stood behind huge, two-story-tall bronze gates that Percy knew had various scenes of death engraved upon it. Furies flew around the fortress.

Thalia exhaled. "We need to find this Pool, and fast. It's not good for the living to spend too long in the Underworld."

Grover turned to her. "What happens?"

She shook her head. "I don't know. But it's advice from Artemis and I don't plan on finding out."

Percy agreed. He swept his eyes to a familiar steep slope that led to a rocky tunnel. It looked like a regular cave (as regular as one has in the Underworld), but he remembered that it was something more.

The entrance to Tartarus.

Grover's flying shoes taking him straight into that tunnel at such a speed that Percy and Annabeth had to sprint to keep up with them years ago. A shiver went down his back when he remembered Kronos trying to pull Annabeth, Grover, and Percy into Tartarus via a freezing gust of wind.

He exhaled. "This way. That's the entrance to Tartarus, and somewhere in that cave is the Asopio Pool."

Thalia turned and followed his gaze. Grover ran his fingers through his hair and horns. "Guys, you're sure I can't sit this one out? I have bad memories of this place."

Percy couldn't blame him, but he replied, "I've been through Tartarus and back, Grover. I don't care what it takes, we need to get my sister back. Whether Annabeth is there already or not, I'd rather get there early and wait than get there too late. Follow me."

He waited for Thalia or Grover to argue or protest, but he was met with silence and a tentative step back from Grover. Percy felt his Wolf stare on his face. He thought about dissolving it, but he needed figured that if he was going anywhere near Tartarus, it would be good to have on him. Percy was a bit worried that his Wolf face sometimes turns on involuntarily, scaring whatever company he's with (unless it's Thalia). He hoped that one day, he didn't accidentally give Cyrene the look; she may cry for a few days straight.

The Wolf began to come up and adrenaline began to surge as Percy led his friends towards the cavern. Six years ago, his twelve-year old self would have never believed that he was going to come back here voluntarily.

After a good amount of walking (the cavern was farther than it looked without Percy chasing after a friend in mortal danger), they finally reached the entrance. The rocks around the cavern entrance were pure black, as well as the inside of it. It was so pitch-black inside the cave that neither Percy, Thalia, nor Grover was able to see past the entrance, even with all of their enhanced senses. However, Percy felt all different types of evil stirring in there. For a second, he was afraid that he was going to hear Kronos, but he didn't feel his energy in the cavern. Thalia shined her flashlight into the tunnel, and Percy saw stalactites hanging from the ceiling, slightly glowing in the presence of Thalia's light.

Percy uncapped Riptide and, despite his senses telling him that he was in mortal danger, forged into the tunnel. His petal glowed a strong red and he felt anger going through his body; at some point, Annabeth planned to take Cyrene through this disgusting, evil tunnel and sacrifice her in here. He was not going let that happen, even if his cost him his life. Cyrene deserved the best life possible.

They crept in and the grass turned to rock underneath their feet. The walls were lined with black gravel. Percy's senses were working hard, and he realized that this place was disrupting his senses. His senses were telling him that he was _in immediate mortal danger,_ but nothing was happening. Nevertheless, he gripped Riptide and got ready to swing at whatever came out of the darkness. Percy wondered if it was dark enough that they could shadow travel out of here by just thinking of a destination. Not wanting to take the risk, Percy began to hum.

After a few seconds, Thalia coughed. "Is that 'Come and Get Your Love' by Redbone?"

Percy chose not to reply since Thalia seemed like she knew the answer to her own question. They continued to go through the cavern until they came to a crossroads. Percy's humming faded out as he looked down each tunnel. He felt evil down both tunnels, but wasn't sure which one to go through. They had been chasing Grover so intently that they didn't see another choice of path to go down. Thalia shined her light down both paths, but could see nothing but the ceiling, which began to get lower as both paths went on. The paths also both seemed to be on a decline, meaning that they may end up underground in the Underworld soon. Percy wondered if Janus, the god of sides and choices, was laughing at him in the shadows.

However, Grover pushed past him. He pointed at the path to the Percy and Thalia's left. He almost glowed with confidence. "That was the one that Luke's shoes took me to. This tunnel took us straight to that huge chasm that tried to swallow us. So, I assume the pool must be that way," he pointed at the path to their right. Thalia looked at Percy. He trusted Grover and assumed that this cavern didn't shift and change like the Labyrinth. He nodded, and the three of them went down the selected path.

As they walked, the tunnel got darker and colder, until it was pitch black. Percy's senses were still activating his sympathetic nervous system, but he tuned it out and used his senses to know where everything was. Thalia and Grover followed him out of faith.

On cue, Thalia thrust out her hand and shot of bolt of lightning down the long tunnel. It lit up the entire tunnel for a split second as the bolt arced through it. What Percy saw in that split second froze his insides. At the end of the tunnel, about two hundred feet down, he saw a woman wearing a robe and hood made of darkness that seemed to be made of black mist/smoke. She was waiting at the end of the path with her head down, but once the lightning flashed down the path, she turned and continued to walk down the path. When Percy saw her, images of a dead Cyrene, his mother and Paul dead, his friends dead on the ground, a burning Camp Half-Blood, a destroyed world, and a razed Olympus flashed through his head.

The images seemed so real that his knees buckled and he had to put his hand on the black granite wall for support. However, his hand sunk through and it seemed like there were spirits inside of the wall pulling him in. He jerked his arm back, but they had grips like Nereus. His body started to get swallowed by the wall, but Grover pulled him by his legs and Thalia pulled him by his waist. The wall finally let go of him, and his hand was burning. Percy wished he had water to take care of it, but immediately, Thalia took out ambrosia and had him eat it. Percy began to feel better and they cautiously continued to go down the tunnel.

Grover gulped. "Is no one going to talk about that smoky woman?"

Thalia's hands gripped her spear. "I hope Smoky Woman is not who I think it is, but her smoky robe is crushing that hope. If it who I pray it's not, then she is Melinoe, the Underworld goddess of ghosts, darkness, and fear. Every single nightmare that anyone has flows through her. I got a vision of my worst fears just by looking at her hundreds of feet away."

Percy felt the sweat cooling on his head. He and Thalia ran into her one time and she was _not_ a nice person. He thought about the images that had flashed through his head and realized that those _were_ his worst fears come true. He always feared that he would one day come against a monster that was too big, too strong, too fast, too cruel, too powerful, etc. He would try his best, but he would meet his end. However, he wouldn't die before the monster destroyed everything he loved. And those images were everything he loved.

They continued down into the darkness, but they started to feel the tunnel get skinnier. They eventually had to walk sideways and shuffle to avoid touching the hungry wall. Eventually, they shuffled into an open space, where they fell about fifteen feet onto the ground. The ground was a fifty-foot circle made out dark gray marble, with glowing white letters of ancient Greek illuminating the perimeter of the circle.

It reminded Percy of an arena. The circle was surrounded by a chasm. Percy peered over the edge of the circle arena and saw that there was lava about a hundred feet down. It cast a red-orange light around the entire circle. Percy looked back to where they had entered from; there was a small space from the tunnel that led into open space right above this arena. They had fallen from there onto this area, where the floor outside the arena was _literally_ lava. Percy looked to the other side of the arena; there was another opening about fifteen feet above the arena on that side that led into a continuation of the tunnel, which he assumed led to the Asopio Pool.

Percy, Thalia, and Grover scrambled up and got their weapons ready. Heat assaulted their faces, immediately prompting Percy to sweat. He began to get jealous because Thalia was immortal (so she doesn't show any signs of physical exertion or tiredness) and satyrs don't sweat.

Out of nothingness, the darkness in the room seemed to bend and concentrate to the space across from them in the arena, forming a woman with black robes of shadowy-smoke. It seemed to flow off her and into the air, and it looked like Tyson could blow the robe off her with one of his strong exhales. The woman had her hood up, but she took it off.

Standing there was a woman that reminded Percy of Two-Face from the Batman comics. Her left side was black, hardened, and cracking as if she was a mummy, and her right side was pale, chalky, and dry, as if one drop of lotion would destroy her. Her hair fell past her shoulders, and they looked like they were made of darkness as well. She took one look at Thalia and immediately transformed into something that Percy thought was vaguely familiar.

She had turned into a tall woman with blonde hair that was so disheveled and uncombed that it looked like a bee's hive. It lazily stood up as if she hadn't had the strength to put in the necessary hair products to make it stand straight. She had a stern face as if everything everyone did was unsatisfactory, all the time. Her eyes were blue and she regarded Thalia. She had a bottle of alcohol in her hand that was three-quarters finished and she moved towards Thalia.

Immediately, Thalia was frozen. Her eyes shook with fear as she scrambled back from the vision. "M-mom…"

Melinoe's illusion zoomed towards Thalia with unnatural speed, prompting the Hunter to scramble back so far that she almost fell into the lava. Percy yelled, "NO," and threw Riptide as Melinoe. The sword went through her and she turned towards Percy. When she had turned, she had turned into Luke.

Percy froze. Luke spread his hands and smiled towards Percy. "Hey, buddy."

Percy's heart leapt into his throat. His petal glowed a combination of a deep yellow and a deep red. He uncapped Riptide, and the sight of Luke along with the lava was making him sweat. "Get…away from me."

Luke smiled. "Oh, Percy…you're not still mad about Annabeth, are you? It's simple; she never loved you. And now she's going to kill your sister. That will go down as one of the wildest betrayal stories of all Greek mythology, and you will go down as one of the biggest fools of all time. It was all a lie, Percy. She planned your death. She served a greater force. And now she will consummate her service to Arachne with one last act. You would deny her that? You would stop her from freeing herself due to a personal desire?"

Suddenly, the vision of Luke shimmered and Percy saw Melinoe again. She looked like she had just gotten hit and Percy saw Grover behind her, with a reed pipe in hand. Grover had hit the goddess of ghosts, nightmares, and darkness in the head with a reed pipe. She turned to him and Grover went pale. "Poly-Polyphemus."

Melinoe stalked towards him and Percy made eye contact with Thalia. She looked shaken, but she nodded to him. Together, they drew their weapons and charged Melinoe. However, she sensed them coming and closed her fists. Darkness surrounded the arena and Percy was at Camp Half-Blood.

It was on fire.

The grass was scorched and there was still green fire burning everywhere. All the buildings had burned to the ground. The ground was covered with demigods lying on it. Campers were lying dead on the ground, some with weapons still impaled on them. Kofi had a knife through his skull. Connor Stoll had a sword through his heart. Jason had two arrows through his throat and his lifeless body was lying against the ruined Big House, as if he had crawled there to die. Piper's body was on fire and on the ground. The green flames burned over her entire body. Percy expected to hear screams, but he saw that her face was charred and destroyed. She wasn't going to scream because she was already dead. Her body was just still burning. Chiron was lying by the volleyball court, his human and his horse halves bloodily torn apart from each other. Rachel's arms and legs were cut off, and her torso was lying face-down on the ground.

Percy began to walk and had to step over bodies for every step. Every dead body was someone he had met or recognized. He saw a huge monster in the distance grabbing Leo and swallowing him whole, while crushing Calypso with his foot. Percy began to run and uncapped Riptide. He had to stop this.

 _I have to end this,_ he thought. Somehow he knew Olympus had burned, and somehow he knew who was responsible. He knew to run to the lake.

When he got there, Annabeth was standing there next to a pile of dead bodies. The bodies were stacked on one another like a pyramid, and one spear was thrust through the bodies like it was holding the pyramid together. Annabeth was standing in the middle of two other people standing beside her; his mother and Paul. Percy screamed and sprinted towards her, but she held up the dagger that Luke gave her over Cyrene.

She raised her knife and _tsk-tsked_. "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

His parents were tied up, standing in front of the lake. Percy's mother's eyes pleaded to him to save her while Paul thrashed against his bonds and Cyrene cried in her arms. Annabeth gave him two words that he was dreading.

"Choose one."

Percy couldn't move. He was forced to choose. He hesitated and looked from Paul to his mother to Cyrene. "Annabeth, please! This isn't you."

"Choose. And all of this will be erased."

He couldn't. "I…I can't."

Annabeth shrugged. "Death then."

In one move, she extended her left arm that wasn't holding Cyrene and impaled her hybrid sword through his mother's neck. Percy screamed as Annabeth removed the sword and beheaded Paul in one strike. She dropped Cyrene on the ground and plunged the sword through his baby sister. Percy tried to move, but he couldn't; he was frozen. Annabeth walked up to him and hugged him. He smelled her normal scent, but it was mixed with fresh blood. She put her chin on his shoulder in the hug and whispered, "This is for Luke."

She stabbed him through the stomach and he felt the Stygian ice spreading through his insides, freezing that area. He had not felt pain like this before. She pushed him down and his dying body fell to the ground. He had failed to save the world and his family. This was all his fault.

Next to him, he saw Thalia on the ground, dying as well. He wasn't sure how he didn't see her when he was looking at Annabeth, but he was too distracted by the broken look in her eyes. She looked at him and Percy saw that Riptide was sticking from her stomach. She reached weakly to him and whispered shakily, "You could have saved us, Percy. Why didn't…why didn't you…"

The life left her eyes. Percy lay there and screamed; not from physical pain , but from despair. He felt his heart and soul absolutely broken.

He reached towards Thalia's face but couldn't quite reach her. "I'm so…I'm so sorry."

Suddenly, Thalia opened her eyes and looked at him. "Percy…before we die…we have to get something from the dam snack bar."

Grover's dead body was suddenly on the other side of him. Percy turned his head to look at him, and he was half smiling with a knife through the top of his neck. "Yeah, and I'm feeling like a dam sandwich."

Thalia laughed, then coughed up some blood, then laughed some more. Percy turned to her. "GET ME MY DAM SANDWICH."

Grover laughed and Percy turned to him. "FROM THE DAM SNACK BAR."

Percy thought back to the time when they were headed to the Hoover Dam's snack bar, and thought about he, Grover, Thalia, and Zoe joking about it. Though he was dying, Percy smiled. He assumed it was a gruesome sight and it hurt him like crazy, but he smiled. He was at peace, dying next to his friends. As Thalia and Grover laughed, Percy began to laugh as well, glad that he died having a good time.

Immediately, the entire scene faded away and Percy was on the ground of a circular arena with dark gray marble and glowing markings. Percy looked up to see Melinoe attacking Thalia and Grover with obsidian black energy. It took him a second to register what was going on.

It was a dream. A horrible vision created by Melinoe to attack Percy and Thalia as they were going to protect Grover. But somehow, the tables had turned and Thalia and Grover had saved him. Now, they were fighting her. Percy felt Riptide in his pocket from after he had thrown it at Melinoe.

He uncapped it and gave her a tomahawk slice. Just like the last time they had faced her, Riptide went straight through her though. In the same heartbeat, she turned and struck him in the chin. But once she had turned solid to attack him, a glowing arrow went through her heart, another one through her neck, and another one through her head. Melinoe gave a shriek as the light from the arrows arced through her body, and she faded into darkness.

Percy flew back from Melinoe's hit. He flew past the edge of the circular arena, and fell towards the lava. However, two strong arms grabbed him and Grover was smiling down at him. "Come on, Perce. One…two…"

On a telepathic " _Three!"_ Grover pulled Percy up as the latter pulled upwards. They made it back onto the arena and collapsed, breathing hard. Thalia stood over them with a grin. "Well, hello, boys."

Percy and Grover panted, but Percy was confused about one thing. "How… _heh…_ how did you all save me?"

Grover laughed a bit. " _Heh…._ it was all Thalia."

Percy looked up at Thalia, who had her arms crossed. "How'd you do it, Wonder Woman?"

"I think you answered your own question." She bent down and grabbed his wrist, helping him up. She grabbed Grover's hand as well and pulled him up.

She enveloped Percy and Grover into a hug, and Percy smelled the familiar scent of Christmas. He decided that he would never forget smelling Christmas while in the Underworld underground, heading to the entrance to Tartarus.

Thalia pushed away from them and said, "She went straight for me first; she must've remembered our previous encounter. I saw my mother and I hadn't seen her in so long and…I froze up. She was about to push me off the edge when you had distracted her." She gestured towards Percy, who waved weakly.

Thalia continued. "She started to attack you and you had frozen up, but I could see that she had turned into Luke. It almost froze me up again, but Grover came flying at her with his reed pipes, going crazy on her head with them."

Grover smiled in turn. She finished the story. "She turned towards Grover and started attacking him. You and I went to attack her, but she put us in our own personal nightmares. I don't plan on ever telling you mine, Percy, but you were there…and I thought attacking you at the Roman baths earlier this week."

Grover gazed at Percy and he felt like the satyr was reading his emotions again. Thalia wasn't fazed though. "That thought made me smile and suddenly, the entire vision tipped over. I realized that positive thoughts during a nightmare helps combat the effects of it. I continued to think happy thoughts and the nightmare began to crumble. I was back in the world, and saw her. She was attacking Grover, and I kicked her away, breaking the spell. We rushed over to you and we were screaming in your ear that joke about the dam snack bar, and sure enough, you woke out of the nightmare. And that's when history repeated itself; you attacked her with Riptide, she phased right through it, but while she was distracted, I lit her up with arrows. And that's how we got here."

Percy couldn't but wonder what he was doing in her nightmare. He figured his snoring wasn't _that_ bad. However, Grover pointed towards the entrance into the cavern on the other side of the arena. "We should probably head out. Annabeth could be there by now."

Percy agreed. Thalia ran and jumped the fifteen feet up to the cavern entrance. Percy felt jealousy twinge through his body again as he saw her awesome physicality. Grover ran and jumped as well. His power satyr legs propelled him only about thirteen feet up in the air, but Thalia grabbed him just in time and pulled him up. They looked towards Percy, who put his arms out to his sides as if saying, _Really?_

Thalia yelled at him, "Get up here, Aquaman! Find a way! You got this."

Percy's petal glowed a strong green. He had an idea and put his hand on the marble arena. He felt trace amounts of water down in the lava. He combined his energy and distributed it to his gut and his chest, using his water and earth manipulation powers at the same time. The lava started to course and flow upwards towards Percy. He flinched as the lava enveloped the marble structure and washed over his feet, but he remembered the telkhines throwing lava at him years ago. It didn't start to burn until after a few minutes when they had covered him in it. They had told him that his lineage protected him.

Percy willed the lava to form into steps and he took the steps up to the second cavern entrance. He knew he only had a few seconds of invulnerability. As he stepped on the lava, he just felt warmth. But as he ascended, the steps began to get hotter. Luckily, he reached the entrance before it became scalding, and Thalia and Grover pulled him up into the cavern.

They collected themselves and headed down the cavern once more. The cavern's size went in the opposite direction; it started off narrow and grew wider as the path went on. After about a minute of walking, they finally arrived at a large room the size of a college baseball field. The floor was a lighter gray marble, but it was cracked in a few places. Littered on the ground was crystals that glittered different colors, reminding Percy of the Roman baths. The crystals spread over the large floor and the walls. On the ceiling were different depictions of monsters; some Percy recognized, some he didn't. He saw the Minotaur, the Nemean Lion, empousai, the Hyperborean Giant, and much more. He realized that all these creatures were in Tartarus at the moment, and were all available to be brought back by the affordable price of one infant. What really struck him was in the center of the room.

In the center was a _huge_ circle that looked like a hot tub. It looked to be about the size of the arena they had just fought in, width-wise. However, this one was also tall, protruding about ten feet from the marble floor. The outside of the tub was obsidian black, glowing with white markings. The markings were Ancient Greek illustrations of Greek monsters, but they were more simplistic drawings that contrasted against the more detailed depictions on the ceiling. Around the tub was a circular garden that extended only about three feet away from the tub all the way around. The garden that circled the tub had black and white flowers, alternating with one another to form an arrangement that looked like it was for Hades and Persephone's wedding. Percy could barely see over the tub, but once Thalia saw him straining to look over it, she bent down, gave his knees a bear hug, then lifted him up as if he was a kid at a baseball game.

Even though he was scared of falling, Percy saw that the tub had pale white liquid inside that was producing deathly white steam. The steam curled around it in tendrils and made the water in the tub seem either scalding hot or freezing cold. Percy's senses, despite him suppressing it, decided to override his suppression and scream at him that he was in danger. They seemed to tell him, " _There are monsters in that tub thing!"_ He felt evil and monsters stirring in the tub, as if they were having an underwater party in it.

Percy knew what he was looking at, and beckoned for Thalia to put him down. Once he was on the ground, he stared at Thalia and Grover in the eyes.

"We're here. This is the Asopio Pool."


	23. Chapter 23

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or any related characters! Please, please, PLEASE review if you read; all feedback is greatly appreciated. You all are awesome, and thank you for reading my story!**

They decided to wait on the other side of the pool, the corner farthest away from the entrance. Thalia had wanted to wait on both sides of the entrance so when Annabeth came through, she would catch an electric spear against her head, but Percy had vetoed that. He didn't want to risk hurting Cyrene or Nico in the process, and Annabeth would most likely be expecting that. So, as a result, they crouched on the other side of the pool and waited to hear, smell, or see Annabeth.

They waited for about an hour. The room was aggressively comfortable despite the Pool of Tartarus' souls sitting right in the middle of it. The temperature was perfect and even the marble floor began to feel comfortable as they waited. Grover was starting to fall asleep, but Thalia and Percy remained vigilant. They were waiting right behind the Pool so they were out of sight, but were crouched with their weapons out. They were ready to attack and stop Annabeth if she decided to immediately sacrifice Cyrene. The battle plan was: Percy and Grover charge, while Thalia positions herself in front of the Pool. Percy was to attack Annabeth/save Cyrene, Grover was going to find a way to free Nico, and Thalia was going to be the safety. If Annabeth managed to get past both Percy and Grover, Thalia would be ready to stop her. However, as the room got more and more comfortable and Percy began to get sleepier, he turned towards Thalia. Talking to her always seemed to either wake him up or put him to sleep, whichever one he needed at the time.

"You can go to sleep if you want, you know. It's probably nighttime outside, and we've had a long day."

Thalia raised an eyebrow as she looked at Percy. "I'm good, unless this is an excuse for you to fall asleep."

Percy feigned surprise. "Whaaaat? Of course not."

Thalia smirked and they lay in silence for a while. Percy looked at her again. In the faint light of the pale white steam/smoke coming out the pool, Thalia seemed to glow once more. Without looking at him, she asked him, "What?"

Percy's petal glowed pink. "I know you said you won't tell me, but I was just thinking about the nightmare Melinoe had shown you. You said I was in the dream and you felt good about shooting me with arrows at the baths. I wanted to apologize for whatever I did to you in the dream, if anything. I would never do anything to hurt you, even if a huge spider-lady told me to."

Thalia looked towards Grover. "Don't try to trick me into telling you, Jackson. I plan on taking what I saw to the grave with me."

Percy looked to the marble floor glumly. "Oh."

Thalia played with her spear a bit. "But…it's okay. You didn't do anything."

Percy's petal glowed a light blue. Thalia looked at the petal and smiled. "On another note, I think I know what some of those colors mean."

He raised his eyebrow towards Thalia. "Yeah?"

Thalia's smiled widened as she shifted positions and faced him. "Yeah. I'm sure I don't have all the colors just yet, but this is what I put together. When your petal glows faint red, it means you're feeling irritated. When it glows a solid red, it means you're mad, and I'm guessing that when it glows a dark red, it means you're furious. If it glows a deep orange, it means you're feeling pleasure."

Percy remembered Mormo and felt like smacking himself. Heat rushed to his face. "Oh, man."

Thalia smirked and kept going. "When it glows regular yellow, it means you're happy, but when it glows a deep yellow, it means you're nervous or antsy. Purple means love, a deep violet means heartache, and a pink means you're caring for someone."

Percy stared at Thalia. He had no idea if that was right or now, but regardless, he didn't think she paid that much attention to him and the petal. But she did. And Percy wasn't sure why. She probably knew how he was feeling more than he did. He felt grateful, but then felt weird inside. He dismissed it as a side effect of the pool.

Thalia grimaced and pulled at her hair. "What?"

Percy realized he was still staring at her. He shook his head and improvised. "Sorry, I just didn't think that yellow means both happy and nervous."

She rolled her eyes. "I think it's pretty cool. The same color with two different hues, meaning two different things? I love it. It's subtle."

Percy wasn't so sure. He wasn't even sure why Calypso gave him the petal in the first place. But Thalia interrupted his thoughts. "But I'm not done. I have two more. A lime green color means you're disgusted or grossed out. I think…and I'm not sure…but a green color means determination or willpower? Like the superhero Green Lantern's ring."

 _Green Lantern._ Percy loved reading about that superhero; his favorite was John Stewart. His face lit up. "You read comic books?"

Thalia's face grew into a devilish grin. "Of course! When I was younger, I loved my _Death to Barbie_ shirt. Part of the reason why is because I hated the traditional 'girl' activities and I loved reading comics. I used to pretend that I was an Amazon. I've been collecting them on my adventures with the Hunters."

Percy couldn't believe it. Annabeth could not stand comic books because they took the reader to a fantasy world that would lure them into a false sense of security about life, fate, and evil. "What?! Which one is your favorite?"

"Probably the Killing Joke. It changed the tone of comic books forever and dared to go into a much darker place, and the sales reflected that. It also changed Batman's entire continuity."

He was in heaven. He and Thalia talked comic books for another hour.

"So anyway, that's why I think Black Panther would beat Batman."

Thalia made a face. "Booooooooooo." She stuck her tongue out and gave him a thumbs down, making Percy smile.

She took a breath. "Batman would definitely beat the Panther as long as he had ample preparation."

"What?! You could say that about anybody, then. Stilt-Man could beat Superman if he had 2,000 years of quote, ample preparation, end quote."

"No, he would still definitely lose. Because f# ! Stilt-Man."

Percy's petal glowed light red and Thalia grinned at the sight of it. Percy gritted his teeth. "Black Panther is a king. Bruce Wayne is a billionaire. They're both in great shape, but the Panther knows just as many fighting skills, is just as intelligent, but has an unbreakable suit and has a nation behind him."

Thalia shook her head. "No. Batman-"

Both of them froze and immediately summoned their weapons. Grover woke up suddenly, but before he could make a noise, Thalia clamped her hand over his mouth. Percy and Thalia had smelled the scent of lemons and had instantly gotten ready for battle. Annabeth's hair had the tendency to smell just like lemons.

In a momentary panic, Percy didn't smell any cinnamon rolls and felt like he was back in his mother's apartment. He slowly peered from behind the pool to see Annabeth carrying Nico by his Egyptian magic bonds. Annabeth now had on a black t-shirt with khaki pants and combat shoes. Her hybrid sword was strapped to her belt and she looked exhausted. Her hair looked wild as if she rolled out of bed. Dirt and soot had stained her face, and her eyes were wild, as if she was being hunted. Her blessed Yankees hat hung off her belt. Percy wondered if they had ran into another monster on the way here. But his petal grew a light blue when he saw Cyrene, still asleep, on Annabeth's back. That girl could sleep through anything. However, she had the Egyptian spell of protection on her, which Percy assumed helped mask her scent of cinnamon rolls.

Annabeth placed Nico down, who was rolling and thrashing. "You can't do this! YOU CAN'T DO THIS!"

She took out a gag and fitted him with it. "Sorry, Nico. You've done your part." Annabeth's voice scraped across the cavern and pierced Percy's heart. He admitted to himself that he missed her, _a lot_ , but with Cyrene right there, he was ready to stop her.

Annabeth stepped to the pool and Percy climbed forward to see what she was doing. She put her hand on one of the markings, and the pool started to shake. Percy and Thalia scrambled back with their weapons, but they saw the white steam/smoke curl into a ghostly mirage of Arachne. Her gruesome sight was enough to make Percy sick. Thalia growled in her throat, reminding Percy of Mrs. O'Leary.

Arachne had their back to them and regarded Annabeth. Then, she spoke in the same horrible voice he heard in Annabeth's vision. " _You brought the girl. Wise choice, Athena-spawn. Percy Jackson will pay for raising his hand against me."_

Percy and Thalia were on their toes, ready to sprint out and attack. Just as Percy expected, Arachne said, _"But first…eliminate the demigods behind this-"_

Before she finished, Percy, Thalia, and Grover charged out with a collective yell. Annabeth's eyes went wide and immediately ran to the corner and put Cyrene down. Grover sprinted towards Nico. Thalia took her post right in front of the pool. Annabeth took out her hybrid sword and stood in front of Percy's sister. Percy leveled Riptide towards Annabeth.

For one eerie second, they faced each other. Percy thought about her killing him in his nightmare and promised himself that it wasn't going to end that way this time. In contrast to her confident, smug self in his nightmare, this Annabeth looked on edge, like she was trying to find the best way to escape instead of her usual, which was finding the best way to pick an enemy apart.

Percy growled. "Get away from my sister."

Annabeth shook her head. "I hoped you would understand, but now I realize that I am truly alone on this. You should not have gotten in my way, Percy. Move, or I will move you."

"Not a chance." Percy charged and Annabeth got ready. Both Percy and Annabeth tried for a tomahawk strike, resulting in their blades clanging in the air. In an unbelievably nimble move and faster than she should've been able to act, Annabeth leapt and backflipped, kicking Percy's chin on the way up. The hit sent his neck snapping back and his body flying five feet back.

He rubbed his chin and looked to the side to see Grover attacking Nico's bonds, trying to get them off. He turned to see Arachne shaking with anger.

" _Fools."_ With that word, the ground split open and huge spiders that were about four feet tall and six feet wide crawled out of the ground. Percy didn't know how she had so much power while still in Tartarus, but he figured if she could hold Matthew and Bobby hostage all the way in California, she would be able to summon beasts here. Grover put his Nico Project on hold and caught a few knives that Thalia threw at him. They got ready and the spiders charged them. Grover was leaping, kicking, and slicing, but Thalia was the real powerhouse. She was hitting them with lightning, spear strikes, spear thrusts and power punches (a punch laced with lightning).

Thalia yelled at Percy, "FOCUS!"

Percy's petal glowed green as he turned back to Annabeth. However, she was gone, along with Cyrene from that corner. He turned to see her jogging to the Asopio Pool. She was about ten feet away from it, with her hybrid sword in hand. Percy scrambled up, touched his wrist, and expanded his shield. He threw it on a frozen rope like Captain America towards Annabeth's legs. He would've thrown at her face, but he didn't want to risk hitting Cyrene. The shield flew at sixty miles per hour and took Annabeth's legs out. When she fell to the ground, Cyrene went flying to the side, along with Percy's heart. He sprinted towards her, but he knew he was too slow to reach her.

However, a hand shot out and caught Cyrene in the air. Thalia had grabbed her and pulled Cyrene into a close embrace as she continued to blast the spiders. "GO, PERCY! BEAT HER."

Annabeth stood and looked at her surroundings. She then trained her gaze back onto Percy. She bit her lip and shook her head as if she didn't want to do whatever she was going to do next. "Please, Percy. This is for my brothers. You have to stop this. I don't want to fight you."

Percy shook his head. "And this is for my sister." He analyzed her body language. Her legs were tensed, ready to pounce at any point in time. She raised her sword and charged Percy. A direct charge was out of character for her, but Percy prepared to counter it just in case his doubting was part of her plan. At the last second, she turned and kicked him in the chest, sending him stumbling. She tried to run her sword through his leg.

Percy struck downwards with Riptide, knocking her hybrid sword to the ground. Annabeth immediately hit him with a body nerve shot to his core, and then a punch to the face. Percy staggered, his entire core numbed from the nerve Annabeth struck. She took the opportunity to draw her knife. She bent her knees as if getting ready to wrestle. Percy attacked with a feint towards her shoulder, but Annabeth saw straight through it. As if he had told her ahead of time, she dodged the fake shoulder attack and countered the sword flat coming at her head. She let the strike go past her a bit, grabbed Percy's wrist, and flipped him.

Percy landed hard, and decided that the room was no longer comfortable for him. He silently apologized to Thalia for flipping her. He tried to get up, but Annabeth stabbed him in the shoulder with her knife. Percy's body flung back to the floor with a painful cry. She straddled him as the knife was in his shoulder and punched him right in the nose. He heard a sickly _crunch_ when she hit him. He hoped his nose wasn't broken, but it sure felt like it. Stunned for a good second, Percy saw Annabeth run and scoop up Riptide and her hybrid sword. She went to attack Thalia, who was starting to struggle with Cyrene in her hand. Percy put his hand out and weakly said, "No…"

Time seemed to stop. Annabeth had gotten a lot better with fighting and was even integrating some of Percy's tricks from Camp Jupiter, as well as some martial arts. She was stronger and faster than he thought she was, and Thalia, with Cyrene in one hand, was going to have a hard time fighting her. Percy refused to let Annabeth get any closer to Thalia and Cyrene and thrust his hand out. This was one of the things that he and Annabeth were brainstorming about regarding the applications of his powers. Annabeth held the view that controlling someone's body was un-ethical, but Percy decided to bend the rules of ethics just this once.

He felt the water in Annabeth's body and with a pained grunt, willed all of the fluids within her body towards him. Annabeth froze in her tracks, and began to convulse. Percy saw the blood pushing against the back of her skin. He felt her muscles moving towards Thalia, against the blood that was coming towards Percy. He maintained the control as he stood up, removing the knife from his shoulder. Thalia glanced towards Percy, blasted a huge spider and then ran to put Cyrene in the corner. She set her down and activated her protection spell. Cyrene was awake now, but she smiled at Thalia. Thalia gave her a quick "Hi," and rejoined the battle. Cyrene laughed.

Percy looked back at Annabeth and saw Riptide in her hand. He grabbed his shield from the ground and ran to her as Annabeth's blood was still reaching towards him. He grabbed her knife by the hilt and threw it at Annabeth's knee baseball-style. It impaled her in the back of her thigh, and when he was close enough, he released Annabeth from her blood hold.

She fell forward immediately with a guttural scream and, with Cyrene's safety justifying it, Percy hit Annabeth in the back of the head with his shield. She crumpled and Riptide went _clanging_ against the ground. He scooped it up and leveled it towards Annabeth, giving her a wide berth. Out the corner of his eye, he saw Thalia kill the last spider and flank Annabeth on the other side. She leveled her spear towards her. "Give it up, Chase. You're beaten."

Annabeth removed the knife from her thigh stoically. She grabbed her dagger in her right hand and her hybrid sword in her left. She looked at Percy and Thalia on either side. Percy saw that she was talking silently to herself. He knew that she only did that when she was trying to calculate something quickly. He was going to signal for Thalia to wait, but she began to charge. Percy didn't want to leave her out to dry, so he charged as well, keeping his eyes on Annabeth's entire body.

When Thalia and Percy swung their weapons, Percy didn't plan for he and Thalia to swing their weapons at the same place; her shoulder. But they did. Annabeth ducked like a panther and managed to dodge both weapon strikes. She sweep-kicked Thalia and swung her hybrid sword at Percy. He deflected the strike, but she followed up with a kick to the core. Immediately, she spun around and kicked Thalia in the face. She quickly turned and parried Percy's attack. She gave him two sharp low jabs with her sword that Percy barely parried and while his attention was low, she dragon-fist punched him in the chest with perfect form, sending him back a few feet. She promptly backflipped and landed on Thalia's shoulders as the latter was getting ready to attack her.

On Thalia's shoulder, she closed her legs and flipped to the ground, bringing both women down. She tried to choke Thalia out with her legs, but Percy came running at her. She released Thalia and fought Percy with two blades while Thalia was gasping for breath. Percy felt like he was attacking a mind-reader, someone who knew exactly what he was going to do before he did it. Riptide was a golden blur of paranoia and protection. Without seeing them, he was blocking attacks with both his shield and sword, having to pull out all the stops to even stay alive. At one point, she tried for a kick to his head, but Percy was expecting that. He blocked with his shield, pushing her leg over to the right. As expected, it threw her off balance and he kicked her in the stomach. Her knife and sword fell out her hand as she flew to the ground. Percy stood over her with Thalia at his side. They held their weapons and pointed them at Annabeth as if they were victorious in a Camp Half-Blood sparring session.

Annabeth propped herself up with her arms and looked up at them. She looked at Thalia tacitly, then made eye contact with Percy. "Please stop, Percy. My brothers will die if you keep trying to attack me."

Percy's heart strings twisted and he thought about Matthew and Bobby years ago, playing with toys and yelling at their father about which one was which. He felt bad, but Thalia sneered, ichor coming down her lip. "Save it. You're finished."

Annabeth seemed to disagree, because she used her hands for balance and double kicked Percy and Thalia in their knees. Annabeth scrambled up and punched Percy. Her follow through from the punch put her in the position where her back was to Thalia, so in the same move, Annabeth followed up with an immediate backwards elbow to the face. Ichor spattered from Thalia's nose as she stumbled back. When both Percy and Thalia were recovering, she picked up her hybrid sword and faced them, ready to fight. Her blonde hair was starting to stain with blood and was sticking to her skin from all the sweat. Percy and Thalia recovered and charged Annabeth at the same time.

In a spectacular display of skill, Annabeth was moving so fast and striking so expertly that she held her own against both Percy and Thalia. Her body was moving non-stop, punching, kicking, blocking, striking with her sword and flipping it in the air at the last minute. Meanwhile, Percy and Thalia were attacking viciously, trying for non-lethal attacks. About 97 percent of their attacks were either dodged or blocked, but every now and again, they would get a swipe or a hit on her.

The double team only lasted about 36 seconds, and ended when Thalia tried for a run through with her spear. Annabeth spun her body, forcing the spear out of Thalia's hand and striking Percy with it in the same spin. Percy went flying. Thalia called Percy's name, and Annabeth took the opportunity to slam the flat (not the edge) of the sword into Thalia's head. Annabeth sheathed her sword onto her waist while Thalia staggered. Annabeth responded with three solid core punches (doubling Thalia over), an uppercut (snapping Thalia's head back and straightening her body up), and then a roundhouse punch (sending her to the ground). Ichor flew out of Thalia's mouth as she fell.

Percy's teeth were shaking. He put "getting hit with an electric spear" at the top of his list of least favorite activities. However, when he saw Thalia fly to the ground with blood coming out of her mouth, the Wolf erupted inside him. He stood and gripped Riptide. His shirt was ripped in a few places, and blood was coming out of his mouth. Pain reverberated through his entire being, but his senses were focused. He heard Lupa in his head tell him, " _No enemy should best you, Son of Neptune. If anyone beats you, it will be because you have let them. Do not let them. End her."_

Annabeth turned and saw Percy walking towards her. She now had blood coming down from a lot of places on her face. Percy decided that this wasn't the same old Annabeth he knew. This was something else entirely.

She put her hands out. "I'm so tired. I don't want to fight you, Seaweed Brain. You were my world and I loved you. Whether I deserved your love or not, Matthew and Bobby do not deserve to die like this."

Percy took deep breaths. "Loved?"

Annabeth dabbed her fingers over her face, looking at the blood her fingers came back with. "I don't have room for emotions right now. I'm making the logical choice in saving Matthew and Bobby. And I will kill you if I have to."

Percy headed to her. "You can try."

Percy felt the Wolf in every strike, movement, analysis he made. Percy had gone to attack her. Annabeth sighed and ran towards him. She tried a run through of her sword through Percy's chest. Percy knocked the strike away and spun away from her, trying to knock the flat of the blade in the back of her head again. However, she was expecting that and tried for a backwards sweep kick. Percy put one leg up to avoid it, and kicked her in the back of the knee. She cried out, then threw herself towards him. She caught him in stomach, sending him back a bit. She raised her sword and crept towards him. She struck high and Percy parried high. A small shockwave of force erupted when their blades met. After he parried high, she struck low, but Percy brought his sword down on the top of her head before she could complete the attack. She seemed unfazed and gave Percy an uppercut punch with her free hand and a sword strike to his side. Riptide flipped around his fingers expertly and blocked the side strike. He opened his palm and struck her in the nose. Her neck flipped back and her hands reflexively went straight to her bleeding nose. Percy tried for a low swipe, but she kicked his hand away, elbowing him in the face while his face was low. He staggered back. He couldn't help but admire her pain tolerance.

Percy tried for his most powerful strike and Annabeth tried for hers. Percy's was an overhead downward swipe that usually made his adversaries fall to a knee from its force, while Annabeth's was a long upwards strike that got the adversary's arms in the air and vulnerable to any finishing body shots. They tried their most powerful attacks and their swords met. In a huge _CLANG_ and a small resulting shockwave, Percy was suddenly disarmed. In that split second though, he realized that he was still holding Riptide. But…he wasn't. He hadn't been disarmed.

Riptide was broken.

That last strike saw Annabeth bring her sword up to Riptide's downward arc and the sheer power of her sword strike had broken off 92 percent of Riptide's celestial bronze body. It went flying and clattered twenty feet away from them. Percy was now grabbing the hilt of a broken blade that extended only a few inches from the hilt. The top of that remaining piece was jagged and coursed with light blue tendrils of frost. Annabeth's Stygian ice on her sword had simultaneously froze Riptide and broke it within the same strike.

For a second, Annabeth seemed as stunned as him. But she quickly regained her wits. She sheathed her sword and with her fists, gave Percy two solid jabs in the face. She leapt straight up in the air, and gave him a solid one-leg kick to his chest. Percy fell to the ground. He heard Grover cry out in victory and he figured that he had succeeded in freeing Nico. However, Annabeth wound up like a baseball pitcher and threw her knife on a rope at Grover, impaling him in his shoulder. Grover cried out and went down. Nico struggled to get up, but was too weak due to a lack of sleep and a lack of walking. Annabeth sprinted to him as he was struggling and gave him a very strong kick in the face. Nico flew ten feet and landed hard, out of commission.

Percy looked around at the seemingly impossible; Grover, Percy, Thalia, and Nico were laying on the ground, defeated and Annabeth stood victorious. She walked over and scooped Percy's sister up. With one touch, she disabled Cyrene's Egyptian protection spell. Cyrene began to cry as if she knew what Annabeth was going to do to her.

Percy struggled to find new strength as he tried to get up. However, he felt like he was carrying the sky on his way up. Annabeth was now walking to the Asopio Pool, rocking Cyrene back and forth. She gave one last sad look at Percy and then trudged into the flowers.

She was three feet away. She reached out and touched Arachne's picture, making the monster disappear into white smoke. Percy figured that Annabeth did that to prepare to bring her back to life. He thrust out his hand to stop her blood, but he was too weak to grab hold. He pushed through everything and charged towards Annabeth. His charge, though, was more of a pathetic limp. Everything on his body hurt or stung or was bleeding. It was times like these when he wished he still had the blessing of Achilles. Annabeth put Cyrene down and watched him limp towards her.

Percy was trying to think of any way out of this, any loophole, anything that could save Cyrene. He cried out, "ANNABETH! What did Arachne swear to you? Exact words?"

Annabeth frowned. "What does that mean?"

Percy screamed, "TAKE ME! You said Arachne wanted someone of pure heart. I can take Cyrene's place and bring Arachne back to the world of the living. What better revenge than…* _caff*…_ to imprison me in Tartarus while she's ali-"

Percy doubled over, coughing up blood. Tears ran down Annabeth's face. "I can't."

Annabeth immediately sprinted to him and kneed him in the chest, sending him down for the count. She straddled him and punched him multiple times. Every blow made Percy think about another good memory in the few months Cyrene was on this planet. He needed to save her. Percy couldn't see straight; he saw four Annabeth's floating around him. Suddenly, he felt her kiss him and felt tears on his face.

"I had to make it look good. I'm sorry, Percy. I'm so sorry for everything. I messed up with this. I should've came to you years ago. I should've trusted you enough. I just couldn't see you meet a fate worse than death. I thought I was done, I thought I was broken and I'm…I'm sorry. But I'm flipping the script. I'm thinking with my heart for the last time. Thank you for being there and showing me that there's always a way. I did love you, I do love you, and I will always love you."

In an unexpected move, she pushed an ambrosia square into his mouth.

Percy swallowed it with difficulty, but his vision cleared up. She bore into his eyes with her gray ones.

They were moving a million miles an hour.

And for a moment, Percy thought that he saw the old Annabeth in her eyes. The Annabeth he fell in love with. The Annabeth who wouldn't go down without a fight.

In a stark contrast to her emotional spill a few seconds ago, she hissed at Percy, "Six seconds. She'll be right where Thalia is. You hear me? Six seconds."

She pushed another square in her mouth and kissed him again.

Percy was so confused. Thalia was laying by the ground next to the pool. He wanted to ask who the "she" that Annabeth mentioned was; was she actually going to go through with this? Was she actually going to sacrifice Cyrene.

Annabeth sprinted to the pool.

Percy heard Arachne's voice fill the chamber. _"Finally. Poseidon-spawn, I will be back to this realm of the living and I will torment you. I will find your parents and consume them. I will raze Camp Half-Blood to the ground once again. And you will have your girlfriend to thank for it."_

Laughter echoed through the room as Annabeth ran towards the pool. Arachne reminded him of Kronos with her malevolent voice. Percy used his new strength to struggle so he was in a sitting position.

"No…no…Annabeth, no…."

Percy couldn't feel his heart. He contemplated bringing Cyrene's bodily fluids to him, but he didn't think that would be healthy. He prepared to do it to Annabeth, but he remembered her telling him that he had "six seconds."

What did that mean?

Annabeth slowed to a jog as she picked Cyrene up. His sister had been crying amongst the flowers, but once Annabeth picked her up, she stopped crying and yawned. Annabeth looked at Cyrene and Percy cried, "NO!"

His body ached. His mind felt like it had been stabbed with a sword. But he ran towards Annabeth anyway. Thalia reached weakly towards Annabeth, trying to stop her. Arachne's laughter still sounded through the entire chamber.

In a decision that melted Percy's heart, Annabeth turned from the Pool and jogged towards Percy. He stopped his advance towards her and watched as Annabeth jogged to him. She stopped in front of Percy gave Cyrene a kiss on the forehead. Annabeth then pushed Percy's sister into his arms.

She unclasped her Yankees hat from her belt and put it on Cyrene's head. Though the hat completely enveloped Cyrene's tiny head, the baby turned invisible.

Percy could breathe again. His heart glowed with warmth as he finally held his sister in his arms. Cyrene was warm, and she still smelled just like cinnamon rolls. He felt her limbs thrash around as she began to fight with the air. Percy couldn't stop his tears from coming down; this Cyrene was not going to dissolve with the wind.

He looked up to get ready to thank Annabeth, but he saw her sprinting towards the pool.

He put it together a half second too late.

Percy screamed, "ANNABETH!"

Annabeth touched Arachne's picture and the monster began to form out of deathly white smoke. In a half second, Annabeth climbed the pool and balanced on the edge of it. She turned back to Percy and gave him a tearful smile, then a farewell salute. She then bent her knees and leapt into the air. In mid-jump, Annabeth turned her body horizontal, clasped her hands together, bent her arms behind her head and bent her legs towards her back. In one motion, Annabeth extended her body so she was like a torpedo and dove into the Asopio Pool.

It broke Percy's heart because he had taught her that move one day when they were at the pool. She had asked him to teach her how to dive.

A quarter second after Annabeth had jumped in, Arachne fully formed out of the white smoke and swept the room. Percy assumed Arachne saw him with a broken Riptide, his friends on the ground, and no Cyrene. The ground began to rumble. She began to laugh and hissed, _"Finally. I can feel my essence being pulled back to life. Prepare to die."_

Arachne's image disappeared and liquid form the pool spilled onto the floor, forming into a figure.

Annabeth had sacrificed herself to bring Arachne back to life.

And Percy had six seconds.


	24. Chapter 24

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or any related characters! Please, please, PLEASE review if you read; all feedback is greatly appreciated. You all are awesome, and thank you for reading my story!**

 _Six Seconds_

Time slowed down. Percy's senses were activated and his reaction time was working the fastest it's ever been.

Percy screamed at Thalia and Nico, "GET READY! Arachne is coming right next to Thalia."

Though they were knocked out a few minutes ago, Nico and Thalia were up and looked to be in almost fighting shape. It was almost as if Annabeth had fed them ambrosia squares while Percy was on the ground…which she probably did, the more Percy thought about it.

 _Five Seconds_

Nico took the knife out of Grover's shoulder and fed him an ambrosia square. Grover began to stir while on the ground. Percy's heart dropped; Grover constantly was drawing the short stick when it came to punishment and pain.

The Asopio Pool liquid that was spilling out onto the ground began to quickly turn a cloudy black color. It was starting to form a large shape that looked vaguely like a spider. The liquid was right forming and taking shape right next to Thalia, who picked up Annabeth's hybrid sword. Percy realized that Annabeth must have put it down right next to Thalia when she had run towards the pool.

 _Four Seconds_

Thalia threw the sword to Percy, who caught it with the hand he wasn't holding Cyrene with. The hilt was cold, as if the Stygian ice was on the handle itself. The sword wasn't as balanced as Riptide (rest in peace), but it was light and had a deathly quick swing (courtesy of Annabeth's multiple lethal demonstrations). Percy gripped the hilt with two hands and looked to Thalia.

In the same second, Nico came up next to Percy, with his own version of a Wolf stare on face. Percy fought the urge to move Cyrene's invisible self away from Nico. The look on the son of Hades' face reminded Percy of a demon more than a wolf. His pale skin was littered with bruises and wounds. His irises were glowing a pale white. He figured Nico didn't appreciate being captured, lugged around America, used as a conduit, and then knocked out as soon as his binds were broken. Percy was not looking forward to seeing how angry Will Solace was going to be when Nico told him the whole story of what happened.

 _Three Seconds_

Thalia opened her hands her bow and arrow appeared in her hand. She aimed it at the spilling Asopio Pool liquid, that was now ten feet tall and pitch black, forming into a woman with hair and the lower half of a monstrous spider.

Thalia called over her shoulder, "Swords are more your thing."

Percy grinned and looked at Nico, whose scowl deepened as he watched the forming monster.

Grover had sprinted up to the other side of Arachne so he, Percy, and Thalia were forming a triangle around the monster. He had his reed pipes in hand and was also scowling. His skin was still pale and he looked like he had lost a lot of blood, but his muscles rippled as he focused on the monster.

 _Two Seconds_

Percy couldn't help feeling grateful. It didn't matter what torture Grover was put through; he always came through with Percy no matter what. He had overcome his fears of Cyclopes and the underground for him. He had risked his life for Percy multiple times.

Percy called out to Grover as he ran. "G-Man! Good to have you back."

Grover nodded while keeping his eyes on Arachne.

Nico turned and nodded at him. It was almost like Nico was giving him permission to wield his sword of death. He put out his hands and Percy realized he was asking for his sister.

Percy hesitated to give up Cyrene. He just got her back, but he realized that he trusted the son of Hades more than he ever thought he would.

He slid Cyrene into Nico's arms, who slung her tenderly into his chest. Cyrene started to coo and make baby sounds, almost making Nico's face twitch from his demonic scowl to a smile.

Percy sprinted towards the moving liquid, that was now starting to grow spider fur and legs, as well as pale human skin and hair.

Thalia changed her mind and notched five arrows at once, aiming them at multiple spots in the forming Arachne.

 _One Second_

Grover put his reed pipes to his mouth and started to play an ominous tune as Percy continued to run towards her.

Thalia had her eyes focused on her, her muscles rippling with expert poise and patience.

Arachne had mostly formed, with her large black spider half being fully formed. Her top half of a pale woman with long black hair had almost fully formed as well. The only thing that was still forming were Arachne's hands/claws, as they were still forming from the liquid.

 _Real Time_

Arachne had fully formed.

At the speed of sound, Thalia released all five arrows; one pierced one of her spider legs, one punctured the abdomen of the spider half, one punctured the place where the human half changed into the spider half, one punctured Arachne's arm and went through her midsection, and one punctured Arachne's neck.

Since Grover had started to play before she had fully formed, vines had burst out of the ground aa split second before Arachne had fully formed, pulling her down to the ground and holding her in place.

Percy grabbed the sword with two hands and leapt in the air. He thought to himself, _For Annabeth and Cyrene._

With both hands, he plunged the hybrid sword into Arachne's heart (at least where it was supposed to be). He landed on the ground, backflipped once away, and rolled away from Arachne for all he was worth. He wanted to avoid any deadly backhands.

Arachne cried out in pain as the tendrils of icy blue frost spread from the puncture wound. It spread about six inches from the area and Arachne's movements began to slow. Percy turned and saw Thalia's eyes glowing silver. In response, her arrows began to glow silver, then turned a bright, fiery red. Percy heard the arrows burning Arachne's insides. Grover's playing became more urgent and the vines began to forcibly enter Arachne's spider body. They now were wrapping through her body and coursing up towards her neck. She was being assaulted by ice, fire, and the earth itself.

The wail Arachne gave would have chilled the blood of Hades himself. She thrashed as blood spilled out of the right side of her body. No blood came from her chest because the Stygian ice had frozen the area around it. Vines reached her neck and started to close around it, constricting the air from entering her airway.

The ground started to shake and Percy turned to see Nico raising one of his hands. The ground started to split and crack in multiple places. Deathly gray warriors became to come from the ground and headed straight towards Arachne. With her ebbing life force, she tried to throw the warriors off her. However, these warriors were from the Battle of Thermopylae, the Vietnam War, World War I and World War II. These warriors were elite, and they refused to quit as countless more climbed from the depths.

When Nico spoke, Percy heard two voices; Nico's voice and the voice of Hades under his. _"You have insulted Hades for the first time and it will be your last. Judgment has been passed."_

The warriors continued to form and take hold of Arachne until she was overwhelmed. They began shooting and hacking at her until her human half and her spider half were torn in half, which was creepily reminiscent of what he had seen happen to Chiron. The warriors began to drag her into the Asopio Pool. Arachne's screams rivaled Atlas' bellows when Artemis had forced him back under the sky years ago.

Thalia put her hands up. "WAIT!"

Nico slowly turned to regard Thalia with his glowing white eyes. The warriors stopped instantly. Percy fought the urge to take a step back when he looked in Nico's eyes; he felt like he was looking right at Hades.

Thalia gestured towards the Pool. "Annabeth is down there! That's not the best place to put Arachne, is it?"

Percy had to admire Thalia's courage. She was right though. Having Arachne in Tartarus along with Annabeth for all eternity didn't seem like the best approach to beating Arachne.

Nico thought about it for a second, then walked over to Percy. His walk now seemed like a glide. He took off the Yankees hat from Cyrene and gave both to Percy. " _We will take her to the River Cocytus, where she will freeze for all eternity."_

Percy clutched his sister close to him, and Nico walked towards the entrance to the cavern. The warriors followed, bringing Arachne, and once they all were in the cavern, they shadow traveled away.

Thalia and Grover both jogged to Percy. A new strength burned in Grover's eyes. "Let's get out of here. We need to shadow travel to the River Cocytus to make sure Arachne is finished."

The three, no, the four of them hustled towards the cavern entrance. Percy tapped Cyrene's protection enchantment, forming a glowing, flickering shield around her. Cyrene yawned and fell asleep. Percy wondered if the enchantment worked like Thalia's humming did on him.

He made a fist and thought about the River Cocytus. Immediately, the three adventurers and the baby melted into the shadows.

They melted onto the shore of a river that looked like it was freezing cold. It seemed to be pure ice, but somehow, the ice was flowing like a river. Beneath the ice were different monsters and people, flowing down the River Cocytus' current for all time. Percy, Thalia, and Grover were standing on black grass that was on the shore of the river. Percy was glad they hadn't shadow traveled into the River.

Cyrene was still sleeping, and Percy thanked the gods…the Egyptian ones, for protecting Cyrene so many times.

Percy watched on the other side of the river as the undead warriors dragged Arachne's two halves to the river. They held both parts of her over their head and threw her screaming half and her spider half into the River Cocytus. Almost immediately, she seemed to sink beneath the icy water, freeze, and stop moving.

Grover looked on at Arachne's frozen body. "Damn right."

Percy and Thalia looked at him; they had expected a "Yikes" or a nervous bleat. Grover genuinely seemed changed by the adventure.

Percy turned his attention back across the River. Nico's eyes continued to glow a deathly white as the warriors sunk back into the ground. His eyes finally darkened to its regular color. He looked at Percy, Grover, and Thalia across the river and pointed towards Hades' palace. He wanted them to speak to Hades before they left the Underworld.

Nico turned, put his hands in his pocket, and walked the other direction.

Percy, Thalia, and Grover nodded to one another and shadow traveled to Hades' throne room.

They melted into a large throne room with black marble walls and bronze floors. Multiple otherworldly monsters were on leashes, held by skeletons. Several large undead warriors flanked the throne room walls, holding multiple weapons. They seemed ready to attack at a moment's notice. Percy wondered what someone had to do in life to be sentenced to guarding Hades' throne.

Speaking of the throne, it was still made from human bones. On the human bone throne sat Hades. He was still ten feet tall and dressed in black silk robes. His skin was still the pale white with his hair falling to his shoulders. There was a smaller throne next Hades, and on it sat a stunningly beautiful woman with brown eyes that radiated warmth. Her dress shimmered with colors and the flower patterns in her fabric continue to bloom and prosper. She gave them a brilliant smile and Percy had the urge to plant a full garden.

It was Persephone, the goddess of springtime, flowers, fertility, and young life.

Percy's heart tugged at its threads; the beauty of Persephone reminded Percy of Annabeth's sacrifice for Cyrene. He began to focus and he looked at Hades once more. Hades stared at him motionlessly. Cyrene stirred in his arms, prompting Hades to turn his attention to her.

With his eyes still on Cyrene, he addressed them. "Percy Jackson, Thalia Grace, and Grover Underwood. I called you here…to…"

Hades cracked his neck like he was in physical pain and Persephone put her hand on the arm of Hades' larger throne. "Go on, my love. We worked on this. 'I' statements."

Hades set his jaw. "I…am…grateful for you…saving my son…from the traitor."

Percy felt the Wolf stir. "Traitor?"

Hades' discomfort melted off his face as he regarded Percy, replaced by an oily curiosity.

"I was trying to thank you, demigod. Yet you still protect her honor all the way into Tartarus? Even if she betrayed you and kidnapped both my son and your sister?

Percy balled his fists. "Yeah, but she sacrificed herself to save Cyrene, in the end."

Hades raised an eyebrow. "One act made out of fear of damnation overshadows all the evil she's done? Even though she died and her soul resides in Tartarus, you think that she deserves mercy?"

Thalia had her eyes on Percy, and Grover covered his mouth before Percy retorted.

Thalia stepped forward, seeming to read Percy's mind. "We appreciate the shadow travelling rings, Lord Hades. It helped us rescue your son from Arachne and Annabeth. We only ask one favor from your generous self."

Hades kept his eyes on Percy, who was glowering from behind Grover's hand clamped on his mouth. Percy shrugged Grover off him and stepped forward.

Persephone shifted uncomfortably. "Oh, dear, that face. He is not happy."

Percy had the Wolf stare on his face, but his attention was diverted by Cyrene, who cooed affectionately. Her legs kicked, and she reached up towards Percy's face with a smile. The Wolf melted off his face and he kissed her forehead.

Percy sighed and looked up at Hades. "Thank you…for supporting us in our adventure. You're pretty… _great_."

Percy felt the pain that Hades had been going through a few minutes ago. Hades nodded and looked at Thalia. "What is your favor, Hunter?"

Thalia turned to Percy, offering him the stage. It was a stark contrast to her stepping up and taking the stage like she had done with Nereus. Percy stepped forward with his sister in his arms. "We just ask that Annabeth gets a fair judgment in the Judgment Pavilion."

The throne room shook as if Nico had summoned undead soldiers once more. Hades stood. "She… _took Nico._ You expect me to give her a fair trial for her?"

Grover cleared his throat. "Yes, Lord Hades. We know that you are not a…bad person, per say, you just are misunderstood and treated unfairly. We know how much you value fairness."

Hades sat back down. "You're right then, satyr. I will grant her a fair judgment. But whatever she is sentenced to is final. Is that clear?"

His eyes shifted to Percy, who adjusted Cyrene so she was closer to his chest. Percy clenched his jaw and nodded. Hades sat back in his throne. "Good. She will be there momentarily."

Grover held his ring finger up. "Before we go, Lord Hades, did you want us to return these to you?"

Hades' eyes glowed with dry humor. Persephone leaned forward. "Keep it. As a gift from Hades to always remember that darkness is not…always bad."

She winked and a ghost of a smile flickered on Hades' face. Persephone looked at Percy. "Would you like to sit in on the judgment?"

Percy nodded and Persephone gave him a warm smile. She waved her hand and Percy, Thalia, Grover and Cyrene were teleported to the Judgment Pavilion.

They were in a large pavilion that was in front of a judgement bench. Across the walls were torches that burned rainbow colored fire. Sitting there, in professional suits was Fleecy, Nelson Mandela, and a large man with a long blonde beard. Thalia whistled. "King Arthur. Wow."

Percy hoped she was joking, but turned back towards the bench only to be tackled by an unseen force. The unseen force turned it to be Fleecy, who was hugging him and was squealing. "EEP! I've missed you, Percy."

Thalia used one arm to pull Fleecy off him. The former assistant to Iris cleared her throat, straightening her suit. She gave them a sunny grin. "What are you all doing here?"

Grover stepped towards her. "We met with Hades and Persephone, and we were here to sit it on a friend of ours' judgment."

Percy felt uneasy, and ran his hands through his hair. He bounced Cyrene slightly as he thought about sitting in on Annabeth's judgment. To him, it just felt _wrong._ It felt like the same type of wrong when Percy was seven and one of his classmates dropped his Honey Bun out of his backpack as they were going to lunch. It was available to be taken and the kid probably wouldn't have suspected Percy, but it still felt wrong to take the Honey Bun.

Fleecy's rainbow colored eyes locked onto Cyrene. "Oh…my…GODS, who is this cute little thing? Is it you two's baby?"

Fleecy pointed to Percy and Thalia, prompting both heroes to recoil, for more reasons than one. Grover laughed. "Nah, it's just Percy's baby sister, Cyrene."

She continued to pout and gush over Cyrene. Though Grover and Thalia were just watching, after a few seconds, they ended up engaging in the gushing as well. Percy thought it made a bit of sense since they've never properly seen Cyrene before.

Percy cleared his throat. "Hey, Fleecy, I don't think that I want to sit it on the judgment."

Grover and Thalia looked at him, but he kept his eyes on Fleecy. "I feel like an individual's life judgment is too personal and too intimate for us to sit in on. Having us there to listen to her eternal sentence? It just seems to weird and too wrong. Would it be possible if we waited outside and had a chance to say goodbye before the she carries out her sentence?"

Fleecy twitched her mouth. "Mmmm…I don't see why not! I will send her out right when she's finished with her judgment!"

Grover and Thalia shook hands with Fleecy and walked out. Percy started to follow, but Fleecy tugged on his tattered shirt. Her rainbow eyes had concern in them. "Percy, who is this friend of yours?"

He cleared his throat and his petal glowed a deep violet. "Annabeth Chase. She was my girlfriend and then…it's a long story. You'll see it. Just…remember that she was a good person, okay? Whatever you all decide, just keep that in mind."

Fleecy's eyes looked like they had been injected with rainbow steroids, as they began to swirl quicker than Percy has ever seen. "I will do my job and judge every single person according to how their life balances out. I will take no favors."

A shiver went up his spine and he remembered that Fleecy was an immortal in life as well. She had her mean side. But her eyes softened and she put a hand on Percy's face. "But you are a good man. And a good hero. I will come to my own decision, but I will remember how you feel towards her."

She gave Percy another hug and he began to walk away. She called back to him. "And Percy? Thank you for the shrine. It makes Iris smile every day."

That made Percy smile, and he walked out of the pavilion just as a golden light appeared. He heard the judges say, "Annabeth Chase."

While they were waiting, Nico ran into them. He was just walking around the Underworld…for fun…and he was casually swinging his new hybrid sword. The sword looked more terrifying when held by Nico, since it glowed with a deathly pale energy. It made Percy wildly jealous, and he missed Riptide. However, Nico offered them a tour of Elysium while they wait for Annabeth's judgment, which they promptly accepted.

Elysium was cool. According to Nico, it served as a "comfortable place of rest" for those who did good in their life. This was compared to the Isles of the Blest, described by Nico as "a heavenly paradise for the exceptional." Percy wondered if Nico was partial to one over the other.

Nico took them past the gated walls and into a sunny, light area with residents playing sports, playing instruments, having cookouts, sleeping on the benches, and talking to one another. It smelled of so many different types of foods and fragrances. Percy realized that people could actually hear one another speak, and there were all smiles.

"I sincerely hope you all aren't dead."

Percy, Thalia, and Grover jumped and turned to see a college-age guy with large muscles, chocolate-colored skin, and large hands. He had on a tanktop with some shorts and sandals. He seemed to have an outline of light around him. He was holding hands with a beautiful girl with brown hair. She had on a tanktop as well, with shorts and sneakers, as if they had just come from a date in the park. She gave them a bright smile.

Percy broke into a grin and hugged them both. "Beckendorf! Silena!"

They laughed and hugged him tightly, pulling Grover and Thalia into the hug as well. They smelled like a combination of amazing smells. Nico stood off to the side until the hug broke apart. Beckendorf and Silena then hugged Nico by himself, which made him blush and pat them on the back awkwardly.

They let go and regarded the four of them (and Cyrene). Silena had a huge smile until she saw Cyrene.

"Oh, gods."

She reached out and brushed Cyrene's forehead. "What happened to this beautiful baby? Who's the mother?"

Percy rolled his eyes as Thalia and Grover tried to hide smirks. "Guys. We're not dead. Well…Annabeth is. But we're not. I think. And this is my baby sister."

Beckendorf's smile melted. "What? Tell us everything."

And they told them the whole story. Beckendorf and Silena had sat down, but the latter had tears forming in her eyes.

When they finished, Silena sniffed. "Oh, no. I…Percy, I'm sorry. Thalia, Grover, Nico, I'm sorry you all had to go through that."

Beckendorf nodded. "Yeah. It sounds like Annabeth did the right thing in the end, which I didn't have any doubts about. But isn't that against some rule? To trick a kid into swearing on the Styx?"

Nico sighed. "You'd think. After having her carry me around for days, I saw that she didn't want to do any of this. She was doing everything Arachne want, but she was broken inside. I had to intervene in little ways, like manipulate Percy's dreams or change his shadow travel destination."

"So that force that pulled me to the side that one time WAS you!"

Nico continued. "I don't know what changed, but the old Annabeth was there when she jumped into that pool."

Percy agreed. He remembered seeing a spark of her old energy when she was straddling him.

Beckendorf stroked his chin. "Well, do you blame her?"

At once, Percy, Nico, Grover, and Thalia answered with a chorus of "Yes" and "No"s.

Percy said "No," Nico said "Yes," Grover said "No," and Thalia said "Yes."

Silena nodded. "It seems like you all have differing opinions. That is a question of morality, which I will stay away from. But I just have one thing to say. When I worked as the double agent for Luke, he had told me that he was going to hurt Charlie if I didn't follow him. I refused to let that happen because to me, Charlie was the most important thing in my life. And I was afraid to lose him. That fear prompted me to make a bad decision that led into multiple bad decisions. I didn't tell Charlie or anybody else because I was afraid I was going to hurt him. But I sacrificed myself as well to try to beat that drakon. As you see, it didn't turn out so well for me in life-"

That earned a few giggles from everyone except Percy, who remembered looking into her dying face.

"-but look where I am now. Redemption and sacrifices are powerful things. Annabeth's actions may have been run off of fear of the alternatives. The judges of the Underworld don't look so much at your actions than they do at your heart. They judge three things; your heart, your mind, and your actions. Your heart is their first priority (because that's what really matters), your mind is the second priority (because that governs the actions), and the actions are the one that's considered last (because that is just a physical manifestation of the mind). I think Annabeth messed up, like I did. But I also don't think that she's entirely bad, either. I've met her a few times, she's cool. I even told her to go for the kiss when she asked me about Percy. I think she'll make it here."

Percy blushed and Thalia raised an eyebrow. Grover and Nico looked down to the ground.

Beckendorf cleared his throat. "So, you think she'll stay here or try for rebirth?"

Percy immediately answered, "Rebirth."

Beckendorf nodded like he expected it. Percy knew Annabeth, and just like Luke who ironically also did a lot of bad but ended his life on a good note, she was an overachiever and pushed herself to the ceiling. She would try for rebirth if she was offered Elysium.

Beckendorf nodded. "I think she would too. I think it would suit her, and I hope in her next life, she is free from the pain and can live in peace."

Silena smiled. "Anyone up for a tour of Elysium?"

All of them shot up their hands, even Nico.

After a few hours, Beckendorf and Silena had walked them back to the gates of Elysium. After a lot of hugs and cheek-kisses from Silena, they headed back towards the Judgment Pavilion. In the distance stood Annabeth, in the same black shirt and khaki pants she had when she had jumped into the Asopio Pool. Percy's heart twisted and shot into his throat; he prayed to every god he could that she had gotten Elysium and not the Fields of Asphodel.

They got down there, and walked up to Annabeth. Her hair looked like it did when she was at Camp Half-Blood, her skin and face was free of the bruises and the scars she had in life. Percy's petal glowed a deep violet. She saw him and gave a bright smile, holding in a laugh.

Annabeth got Elysium. She was finally free from her curse.

He passed Cyrene to Thalia and charged towards Annabeth. He picked her up and wrapped her in a big hug, and she returned it just as tightly. Percy's face was buried into the crook of Annabeth's neck and he smelled her usual lemon-y scent hair. She kissed him multiple times on the cheek and Percy put her down. He looked in her gray eyes, which weren't moving multiple miles per hour nor did it seem broken. They just looked calm, at peace.

She took a breath. "Thank you. Thank you, Percy. I know that this goes without saying, but this relationship can't work…if I'm dead."

Percy nodded and exhaled. "Seems fair."

His petal glowed a deep violet. He thought so many times about Annabeth being the one for him, being the one that he would build something permanent with.

Annabeth caressed his face like she was reading his thoughts for the last time. "You were the light of my life, Percy. You are a blessing in everyone's life and you deserve the Isles of the Blest, even after this one life. I'm sorry, from the bottom of my heart, for everything. My spirit was broken. But when I had recounted the oath to you, I realized that she had just told me to bring her Cyrene. She never told me to kill Cyrene and use that death to bring her back. She told me in vague terms, which contrasted with all the specific acts she had asked me to do in the past. From that point on, I started to form a new plan to work against Arachne's plan. I let you get to the Belvedere Castle first, because if I was at the Pool first, I would have had no excuse to wait around for you to stop me. She may have demanded that I kill her."

Percy kind of understood. "Wait, but if you said Arachne's always watching, why would it matter whether her ghost was watching at the pool or not? Isn't she always watching?"

Annabeth pursed her lips and Percy felt like they were on a quest together and he was asking questions about a concept that she found straightforward. He realized that would never happen again, and his petal glowed a stronger violet.

"True, but when she was living, she was able to watch me whenever she wanted to. I felt like there was always this spider on my neck, just crawling around. I felt like I had no wiggle room for deception or trickery. However, when in Tartarus, it took a lot of effort to impose her presence into the living world and to watch me. She would've had to send a piece of herself/her power to do so. Granted, I never knew when she was or wasn't watching, so I carried out her commands she sent to me via dreams. However, at the pool, she was getting ready to be reborn. Arachne wanted all her essence and power together so she could return to the world of the living at full strength. She could see me without any effort when in her ghostly form at the bath; that wasn't taking her any effort. But when I had tapped her picture and she disappeared, for a quick second, she was blind. She didn't want to impose herself onto the world of the living, lest she get resurrected at less than full strength."

It made about as much sense as everything else in this world. Except one thing.

"Then why'd you punch me all those times after Arachne was blind? You could've just talked to me?"

She cocked an eyebrow. "You think you would've let me jump into that pool?"

Percy hesitated. He realized he wouldn't have let her do it; he would have jumped into the pool himself.

She bumped him with her hip. "Cheer up, Seaweed Brain. It worked. I'm free from her control. You saved Cyrene. And you are amazing for that. You better prosper in the living world up there, okay? Tell your mom sorry for me, and tell my dad that his wife is probably not coming back."

She pulled Percy into another tight hug and Percy fought the tears from flowing down his eyes. She pulled back, and looked in his eyes. "Watch over Matthew and Bobby for me?"

Percy nodded tearfully and she grabbed his head and kissed him on the forehead. She walked away from him and approached Grover. He sniffed and wiped something quickly from his eye. She put out her arms and Grover fell into them. Once he made contact with her, he exploded into tears like Percy had done with Thalia the other night. Annabeth hugged Grover tightly.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for everything."

Grover was talking between his sobs. "I should've known. I should've saved you…I'm sorry…I'm…"

He continued to break down and Annabeth pulled away from him, holding his shoulders. She had a look of pride on her face. "Grover, you've grown up so much. Juniper is a lucky girl. Congratulations on your engagement. I'm sorry I won't be there for your wedding, but I'm sure it will be beautiful. But you have been the best protector a demigod could ever ask for. Percy has the best best friend ever. And I'm sorry for throwing that knife at you."

Grover sniffed as Annabeth turned to Thalia. Percy felt uneasy; he didn't know what was going to happen. Thalia was the most unforgiving of Annabeth's actions out of the trio, and he didn't know if her last words to Annabeth were going to be harsh and accusatory, or nice and accepting.

Thalia's eyes sparked with lightning as she regarded Annabeth. Grover carefully peeled Cyrene from her grasp and tried to avoid her powerful stare. It reminded Percy of Zeus' face whenever he got angry. However, the daughter of Athena wasn't discouraged at all and wrapped her arms around Thalia enthusiastically. Thalia was taller than Annabeth about one inch. She tensed up and Percy could see that she had planned to attack Annabeth with a lot of curses and accusations. However, when Annabeth was finally hugging her, Thalia closed her eyes and her face looked like she was about to cry.

Percy knew this because he had felt the same exact way a few times over these past days.

A silvery tear fell down Thalia's cheek as Annabeth pulled away. She wiped the tear away and smiled at Thalia. "I know that you don't fully forgive me for all of this. I doubt Percy and Grover truly do either. And I don't blame you for it. But you were amazing and the gods blessed us when you came into our world. You were a great fighter, a better friend, and the best big sister I never had. You make Artemis and Zeus proud."

Thalia was crying now, which was an odd sight for Percy to see. It threw him off, like a traditionally warm place suddenly producing inches of snowfall. She looked at Annabeth, bit her lip and let the tears flow.

Annabeth took her hand and gave it a little squeeze. She beckoned towards Percy.

"Take care of him, will you?"

Thalia nodded as Annabeth gave her the type of smile she gave the young half-bloods at Camp when she knew that it was them who played a prank on the Big House; that motherly knowing smile.

Fleecy came out of the pavilion. There was a golden portal that was swirling outside the pavilion. She winked at Percy. "Annabeth. It's time to go. We have other judgments."

Percy realized that Thalia neither gave accusatory remarks nor showered Annabeth with kind farewell statements. She was just silent and let her tears express how she felt, which in a way, was more Thalia than either of the previous two options.

Annabeth smiled at them and turned to go. Grover called out to her. "Wait! Elysium or rebirth?"

"Rebirth," Annabeth answered automatically over her shoulder. "Is that even a question? I took one look at the Isles of the Blest years ago and told myself that I wanted to be there when I was older. Hopefully in this life, I will be forced into servitude by a giant snake lady."

Grover laughed nervously as Percy and Thalia tacitly watched Annabeth retreat towards the pavilion. She stopped about fifteen feet away and turned to Percy.

"And be sure to take care of Cyrene. She deserves the world from you. I know that you'll be an amazing brother, almost as good as Ms. Jackson will be as a mother." She smiled and one last tear fell down her cheek. "My Percy. My Seaweed Brain."

She turned abruptly and sprinted to the pavilion, like Percy and Annabeth used to do when they race each other down the hills at Camp Half-Blood.

Except this time, she was running alone.

Tears fell from Percy's eyes. Grover handed Percy his sister. As soon as Percy held her, she started to cry as well. Both siblings were crying together as Annabeth disappeared into the golden portal to be reborn into another life.


	25. Chapter 25

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or any related characters! Please, please, PLEASE review if you read; all feedback is greatly appreciated. You all are awesome, and thank you for reading my story!**

As a favor from Fleecy, Percy, Thalia, and Grover were teleported back to Camp Half-Blood. It was about midnight, and the sky was a peaceful purple-black. The stars were shining brightly in the sky, providing a stark contrast to the Fields of Asphodel. The weather was warm and there was barely a breeze blowing through the Camp.

Though they were walking to the Big House, Percy was still mulling over Annabeth and the fact that she had chosen rebirth. Was she now a pregnant child in someone's womb? Did she have a waiting period of like three years before she was born into someone? Was she going to be born a half-blood once more? Was she even going to be born in the United States?

Regardless, he missed her. Annabeth had this large shadow over her entire life and she finally freed herself from it. She found peace, even if it was in death. And like Silena and Luke, she had chosen a hero's death and got rewarded with Elysium. Percy thought that he should feel good and at peace with that, but he still felt pretty miserable. He wished that he had said more to her, expressed his feelings in a clearer way before she took the path of rebirth.

Percy should've guessed that Annabeth would have been offered Elysium because when she jumped into the Asopio Pool, Arachne _did_ come out. And for Arachne to be brought back to life, an individual of pure heart must have taken a dip in there.

Percy was pulled out of his thoughts when Cyrene began to cry. He disabled her Egyptian protection spell and looked down at her swaddle. When he looked closer, he saw that she had a golden glow coming from it.

Was she a god? Was the exposure to Egyptian magic too much and now she's a magician? Grover and Thalia crowded around the infant and watched as she glowed.

Thalia breathed, "Oh, gods."

She laced her arms around Cyrene and pulled her out of her swaddle, revealing the true source of the golden glow. In Cyrene's swaddle was the Golden Fleece, shrunken to provide a sort of swaddle padding underneath Cyrene. Annabeth must have put the Fleece under her to provide her an extra measure of protection.

Percy wasn't sure why Annabeth had put the Golden Fleece under Cyrene; was it to heal her if she had gotten hurt? Was it to make sure that Cyrene had the most comfortable journey possible to the Asopio Pool?

However, once Thalia had removed the Golden Fleece from the swaddle, Cyrene stopped crying. It must have been too much energy for a mortal infant to be taking in at once. Thalia folded the Fleece under her arm. "I'm going to give this to Chiron, in case he needs to use it for the camp. Percy, you can go drop your stuff on in Poseidon's cabin. Grover, you can go let Juniper know that you're back home safely."

Grover jumped and hustled into the woods, towards his new fiancé. Percy sighed and smiled as Grover retreated into the trees. Percy put Cyrene back in her non-Fleece lined swaddle now, prompting her to head back to sleep. He headed back to the Poseidon cabin. Once he got in, he dropped off his duffel bag of weapons, as well as put Cyrene down on his bed. For every weapon he unpacked, he hung or put at a different place in the room. He took out his old orange Camp Half-Blood shirt and held it up. He expected it to be dirty, burned, torn, and worn. However, it was clean and it smelled of his mother's fabric softener. He thought it did look a little smaller though. He folded it and put it on his bed as he continued to unpack everything through the room.

Once he unpacked everything, he sat on his bed, next to Cyrene. Her face as contorting as if she was having a bad dream. Percy picked her up, rocking her slowly. He thought about humming to her but he was definitely not going to be as good as Thalia was at it.

Speaking of Thalia...Percy couldn't thank her enough. She stuck by his side the entire time, protected him and Cyrene fiercely, didn't kill him for seeing her…indisposed. And she had made sure that he actually slept, using her Hunter magic to make him fall asleep when the nightmares and the guilt attacked him. Percy knew the only reason she had joined the mission was because she wanted to find Annabeth. Now that they know what happened, though, Percy felt weird. He didn't want Thalia to go. He wanted to go on another mission (that wasn't so personal, just the usual "save the world" bit) and wanted Thalia to go with him. He knew that was unrealistic though. She was with the Hunters. She had sworn off boys.

He wondered if Artemis made exceptions though. Percy didn't know why that had popped up in his head, but he knew that he was going to miss her Christmas smell.

"I guess this is goodbye?"

Percy turned with Cyrene in his arms to see Thalia smiling in the doorway. He flashed her a grin, kissed Cyrene on the forehead and put her down on the bed.

Thalia walked in and looked around the cabin. "This looks like a Hunter's tent, with all the weapons lying around."

Percy looked around. "Yeah, I guess you're right. You get some strange weapons and artifacts through the adventures over the years."

Thalia exhaled and climbed onto Tyson's old bed. "Tell me about it. My adventures have been much more dangerous than yours."

Percy faced her. "I don't know about that…mine have been pretty wild."

And for an hour, they talked to each other about the different adventures they had over the years. They challenged each other to exchange adventures, but they could only take thirty seconds to explain each individual adventure. Percy was having fun making Thalia laugh and recoil and flinch at the mention of some of his stories. Her stories seemed terrifying as well, only worthy of immortal warrior women.

Thalia ended it with, "Well, in my latest adventure, I went with Grover and this boneheaded son of Poseidon to save his kidnapped sister from his girlfriend who wanted to sacrifice her to Tartarus. And he saw me naked, so that was fun."

Heat rushed to his face. "Sorry about that, again. I didn't do it on purpose, I swear."

Thalia looked at the fountain in the middle of the cabin, that was now spewing water at full height.

"Percy, in my dream, you had died. I had failed to stop this big threat and everyone that I knew had died. You looked at me and told me that I was a disappointment."

Percy's heart dropped. "Thalia, you're not a disappointment."

Thalia continued to look at the fountain. "Yeah, well…I had knelt over your body and thought about everything that I had regretted doing to you. I realized that I had done some pretty mean things and said some uncalled things as well."

"Is that an apology?"

Thalia stood up and walked towards Percy. "No. I just realized how mean I had been to you over the years. But…it also made me think about all of the things…that I hadn't said to you."

Thalia was now in front of Percy, who had swung towards her so his legs were hanging off the bed. She was almost between his legs now. She gave him a small smile.

Percy looked in her eyes, and her electric blue eyes looked vibrant and colorful. She grabbed his wrist and pulled him up so she was slightly looking up at her. They were very close now, and Percy's heart was thumping out of his body.

Percy and Thalia were almost nose to nose now and their lips were an inch apart. When Percy leaned in, Thalia gave him a hug. She smelled like Christmas and cinnamon rolls, and she held him tightly, as if she was never going to see him again.

After about a second, she pushed him away gently and, with what Percy thought was a tear in her eye, she stuck out her hand.

"Nice working with you, Aquaman."

Percy was feeling all different types of emotions. He knew that Thalia was amazing, beautiful, and strong, but she was also a Hunter. She made an oath of eternal maidenhood and her immortality was tied to that.

Percy realized Thalia made the right choice. Annabeth had just _died_ and was reborn hours ago, and Percy wasn't sure that he was completely over her. Thalia was the Lieutenant of the Hunters of Artemis and had a group to get back to. He didn't want to be responsible for her losing her family and her immortality. Though he had never met a cooler girl, it would not be a good idea to do…that.

He tried for a brave smile which made Thalia look away. He shook her hand.

"See you around, Wonder Woman."

Thalia smiled as a tear came down; it was the second time he had _seen_ Thalia cry. She turned and started to walk away.

Percy made a quick decision and called out, "Wait!"

Thalia turned around to see Percy holding his orange Camp Half-Blood shirt up like he was trying to sell it to her. He smiled and gave it to her. "This is yours now. Remember my boneheaded self in your adventures."

More tears fell down Thalia's face, but she took the shirt gratefully. She looked at it and slung it over her shoulder. "It smells like the sea."

Percy ran his fingers through his hair. "Ah, man. I thought my mother had washed the smell out. I'm sorry."

She looked down at it once again and sniffed. "No…no, it's perfect."

She nodded to him, wiped her silvery tears, and ran out. Percy watched her run with perfect form towards a group of Hunters who were waiting at the edge of Camp Half-Blood. Once she reached them, they hopped into one of the new magical rafts and took off towards the woods. Percy sent a quick message to the sea monsters to let them pass.

Percy sighed and Cyrene started crying. He looked at her. "Yeah, I know. I'm sad too, Cy. Let's get you back to your mother."

Percy tapped her protection spell and his ring glowed deathly silver.

"Take me to Sally Jackson."

He went to the corner of his room and together, they melted into the shadows.

They came out in his mother's apartment, and his mother and Paul were on the couch. They saw him holding Cyrene, and her mother turned towards them. Percy tapped his protection charm and took off her bracelet.

She leapt over the couch like a demigod and tore Cyrene from him, hugging her so close that he was worried about the safety of the baby. Tears flowed down his mother's face as she said how much she missed Cyrene. In turn, Cyrene cooed and giggled, reaching towards her mother and trying to wrap her small arms around her mother's neck. Paul scrambled over and hugged his mother and Cyrene.

Percy stood there watching Paul, Cyrene, and his mother smiling and crying. His mother pushed Cyrene in Paul's arms, who pulled the baby close to him.

His mom rushed towards him and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him in and rubbing his back. "Percy. I knew you could do it. I'm sorry you had to go through that. I'm so sorry. You're home now. You're home now."

This time, Percy didn't even try to stop the tears from coming down.

The entire family was crying except for Cyrene, who was laughing and giggling because she was happy to be back with her family.

 **Quick notes: Thank you for all the reviews. I will give you all a proper message once the story ends. THERE WILL BE TWO MORE EPILOGUE CHAPTERS, so stay tuned. For a few people who have questions:**

 **Aetemus and faux pass: Thank you for the reviews! I agree that in the books, Annabeth would not be powerful enough to beat both Percy and Thalia at her current level of combat. However, earlier in the story, Annabeth was revealed to have enhanced strength and speed, courtesy of Arachne. Think about her new strength and speed, combined with her considerable fighting skill (she's been fighting for over a decade), her enhanced endurance, her intelligence, and her strategic skills. Also keep in mind that she's known Percy for six years now; she knows him and has seen him fight countless times. This allows her to predict what his moves were going to be, until he went Wolf, which allowed him to change the game up with her. This, in my opinion, made her a pretty formidable foe.**

 **JC RH: Sorry if this wasn't clear to begin with. They are exchange pools, but keep in mind that for a monster to go to Tartarus, they have to "die." Their essence then goes to Tartarus. If a mortal gets dropped into the pool, they would die and their soul would go to Tartarus and would exchange with a monster, bringing them both out of Tartarus and back to life.**


	26. Chapter 26

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or any related characters! Please, please, PLEASE review if you read; all feedback is greatly appreciated. You all are awesome, and thank you for reading my story!**

 **Update: Change of plans! There will be four more chapters left in this story, including this one! Thanks for reading :)**

 _Three Months Since The Incident_

Percy was at his mother's apartment, watching Cyrene travel from the couch to the kitchen. She had learned to do this weird thing where she'll start on the floor, lying on her back. She then would use her legs and her body to turn herself to her front, so she's on her stomach. She would repeat, and end up traveling places through this spinning/rolling technique. He was watching her to make sure that she didn't hit her head or lose control and spin towards the wrong area. Percy did think it was cute and it made him smile every time.

After he had brought Cyrene home and told his mother and Paul about everything, he was thinking about returning to Camp and being a counselor or a sword master. He thought that he would do well teaching demigods how to fight, and plus he would be close to Grover.

However, his mother's mental health was fractured. Her child had just been kidnapped by her son's girlfriend and taken to the Underworld with the intention of killing her daughter and damning her soul to Tartarus, where she would be endlessly preyed upon. Her son, in turn, had gone to save her, dropped off the grid with no Iris-Messaging, traveled to the Underworld himself, contemplated killing himself to save her daughter, but watched his girlfriend kill herself and be reborn into a new life.

Percy thought that therapy was long overdue. Luckily for both of them, his mother didn't buy into the stigma surrounding therapy. She looked at it as a service where someone who's getting paid to talk to you and engage in active listening. According to her, her therapist is a big fan of Greek mythology and loves it when she speaks in "metaphors" regarding her…dynamic life. It also turned out that his mother suffered from now clinically diagnosed-anxiety, which Percy felt guilty of immediately after hearing it. He felt like he had a hand to play in that.

Percy had decided against going to Camp Half-Blood and had decided to stay with his mother and Paul to help them heal from the experience. For the past few months, he had been helping around the house, working a part time job at the nearby community center pool, and helping with Cyrene. He would take her on impromptu trips to their favorite beach, bring her dinner after work, and even watch the terrible home modeling shows that she loved. While he did all of that, his mother cut down on her hours writing and focused on her therapy, improving her diet, exercising, going on dates with Paul (Percy had nowhere to go, so he watched Cyrene), and spending time with her children.

Recently, however, she had started to push him back into the social sphere. She had told him, "You can't be friends with half gods all your life. You have to branch out and meet new people."

Once she heard about one of Percy's coworkers, Carly, she advised Percy to ask her out to a movie or for ice cream, nothing too serious. Percy told her that Carly would get the wrong idea, but his mother swore up and down that it was just a friendly gesture.

Carly was about 5'7 (shorter than both Annabeth and Thalia), and had tanned skin with a bright smile. She had brown and blonde hair. She was a lifeguard at the pool as well, and would always change her shifts so she was on duty with Percy. Every time Percy would look up, she would wave at him with that smile that rivaled Apollo (when he still a god). Percy would wave weakly, then go back to watching the pool. He started to get a bit worried, though, it seemed like she was watching him more than the pool. She was cute, he guessed, but cute in the, _"My sorority is the best thing that has ever happened to me,"_ type of way.

One day, Carly had caught him before he left for the day.

"Hey, Percy!"

He had turned around to see her shuffle-running with her flip-flops clapping. She had her red zip-up lifeguard top along with navy blue shorts and white flip flops. She looked like she belonged in Baywatch. She wore that signature smile and took out a piece of paper.

"This is my number. You know, if you ever want to change shifts or…or if you need anything from me at all, just call me, okay?"

She pushed the piece of paper towards him and Percy looked at her dumbly. For some reason, he thought about how her blue eyes didn't glow like Thalia's did. He took the paper, smiling to be polite. She flashed him that grin and skipped away.

He had been thinking about Thalia a lot lately. He constantly wondered what she was doing and what amazing quest she was on. He sometimes smelled her Christmas scent and whipped his head up hoping to see Thalia, but it would just be something random. He thought about her eyes and her hair and even had a dream the other night about them two on an adventure together.

Lately, she had been sending him weekly packages with a letter that detailed her adventures and exploits. The packages would send at a different day each week, something that he inferred was meant to keep him on his toes. Enclosed in every package was a different comic book that she had found that she believed Percy would enjoy. He would take it out to read it, and sure enough, he enjoyed every one.

The sun was beginning to get low in the sky as Percy drove back to the apartment. He thought about Annabeth, Rachel, Calypso, and Carly, but every time, his mind would compare them to Thalia. It was almost beginning to annoy him. He walked in the apartment to see his mother holding Cyrene and holding a letter. She had a smile on her face. "Percy, you got a letter!"

Despite already having gotten a package from Thalia that past Friday (it was Sunday), his heart flipped and Percy probably ran to the letter a bit too fast. He took it from his mother and opened it to see no comic book; it was from someone else. He did see a letter in it though. Percy retrieved it and saw a brown card that felt like it was made by very thin bark that had vines and leaves around it. He opened it and leaves and flowers popped out from it like a children's pop-up book. The message was written in black cursive.

" _Percy! Come to our wedding at the Camp Half-Blood amphitheater! Happening at 6:00!"_

Percy grinned. Grover was not one who was well-versed on the concept of sending invites in advance, but luckily Percy had his shadow travel ring in his room.

He turned towards his mother, who waved her hand dismissively. "Go on. Tell Camp that I say hi."

"How did you know it was from Camp?"

His mother turned to him with a half-smile. "You always get that smile on your face when it's about that _other_ part of your life."

Percy smiled, but then began to panic; he needed a tuxedo. He sprinted to Paul's room, where it looked like he just got up from a nap. Percy slid into the room hurriedly.

"Paul! I need your best tux! My best friend is getting married today!"

To Paul's credit, he scrambled up immediately and he and Percy spent the next thirty-five minutes trying to put on the tuxedo, trying to figure out the bow-tie and the other parts that went with it. Finally, Percy had the tuxedo on and ready.

Paul stepped back. "You look dashing, Percy. Your mother would love to see you."

Though the tuxedo was a bit small, it wasn't too bad if the jacket was unbuttoned. He walked out to the living room and his mother whistled. Cyrene began to laugh.

"Well, look at my handsome man. You look just like your father. Before you go though-"

She put Cyrene in Percy's arms and hustled to the refrigerator. She took out a plate covered by aluminum foil that smelled heavenly. Percy had to stop himself from tearing it up and his mother traded the plate for his sister.

"This is for Kofi. Tell him thank you for letting you use his phone, and this is his free batch of cookies."

Percy smiled, kissed Cyrene, and headed to his room. Before he got in, his mother called him.

"Percy? One more thing. Tell Thalia that I said hi."

Percy nodded and stepped into his room. He had this weird thing where during the day, he would have to go inside his closet to shadow travel as if he was going to Narnia. He went inside the closet, made a tight fist, and thought about the Camp Half-Blood amphitheater.

Percy melted into the shadows and came out next to a tree. There was a bustle of noise, laughing, and people all around. He felt like James Bond when he stepped out from the tree, but his breath caught in his throat when he saw the wedding.

Large, thick trees that weren't there three months before circled the amphitheater. Each tree was blooming with hundreds of pink and white flowers, moving slowly in the breeze. The breeze was blowing small pink petals throughout the entire space. Percy thought Grover must have been playing his pipes all day for three days straight in order these trees growing like this. The bleachers area of the amphitheater was filled with people, demigods, centaurs, dryads, and nymphs. The bleachers were arranged in a semi-circle that faced the center stage. On each side of the stage was long tables that had all different types of cans and upholstery, as well as fruits, vegetables, and organic drinks, inspired by Iris' store. Maron the satyr was right beside the stage, sitting in a chair and playing his reed pipes. As he played, the trees seemed to glow a little and the pink petals continued to fly around.

Percy looked up and saw the branches _covered_ with birds, of all different colors and sizes. It almost reminded Percy of the aggressive Stymphalian Birds, the way they were all perched there, but they weren't interested in any destruction. Instead, they were all chirping in sing-song voices. Percy looked behind him and jumped. There were countless animals sitting and laying in between the trees behind the amphitheater. Percy figured there had to be at least two hundred of them. As the music played, the petals flew, and the birds sung, Percy could feel the woodland magic flowing and circling the place, creating quite a magical scene.

He walked into view and heard a collection of greetings and celebrations. Jason came up and clapped his shoulder and Piper gave him a hug. Leo dapped him up and Calypso tried to do the same thing Leo did, but it ended up just being a handshake. Kofi came up and Percy gave him a high-five, trading the high five for the plate of cookies. Kofi's jaw dropped. "This smells amazing. What is it?"

Percy grinned. "Your payment."

He continued to go through the crowd and smiled, nodded, and shook hands, but he was starting to get embarrassed quickly.

He realized that he was severely over-dressed.

Everyone had come in their regular camp T-shirts and jeans. It was a casual wedding. Even Grover just had a nice collared shirt on…and he was the one getting married! Percy felt like face-palming himself; he knew that non-humans did not have the same wedding customs as humans, so for him to show up in a tuxedo when Grover never specifically asked him to do so seemed a bit premature. Percy ignored the looks he was getting and pushed through the crowd of people talking and drinking. He climbed onto the back row of the bleacher and thought about Grover getting married.

After a few minutes, he felt a punch on his back and a shock. Percy jumped and looked behind him, his hand instinctively going to his pocket. There, he saw Thalia. She had on tight, dark blue jeans and Percy's Camp Half-Blood T-shirt. It seemed to fit her perfectly. Her hair was down and straight, and her eyes glinted with happiness. She looked like what Percy never thought she'd look like; a camper.

And gods, she looked amazing.

She grinned as she began to climb onto the seat next to him. Blood rushed to Percy's ears and his petal glowed a light purple, then a regular purple, though he scrambled to hide it. He didn't want to take the chance that Thalia had figured out what it meant.

She sat next to him…like _next_ to him, so close that their legs were touching. She looked him up and down and grinned. "Nice tuxedo."

That comment and her smile made his embarrassing wardrobe decision completely worth it.

He grinned at her and the wedding began.

As it commenced, Percy didn't know if he would call it a "wedding," because it was more of a ceremony. It was performed by Silenus. Juniper was wearing a simple light green dress and Grover had on his collared shirt. Silenus took out a flower pot with mysterious engravings on it.

Very plainly, he asked, "If you two would like to be married, then drop your blessed seeds in here."

Percy and Thalia craned their heads as they struggled to see past one satyr whose horns were so big that they almost touched their legs as they curled around. A puppy came up to the stage, holding something on its back. He saw Grover and Juniper take whatever was on the back and Percy now saw that they were seeds. Grover and Juniper smiled at one another, and dropped the seeds into a flower pot. After a half-second, the space with the seeds quickly grew into a small glowing white flower. Silenus took the pot and held it up, earning cheers and applause from everyone in attendance, as well as the animals and birds behind the stage. Grover pulled Juniper into a kiss and picked her up just as Percy had picked up Annabeth at the Judgment Pavilion.

Thalia leaned over to him and whispered an explanation. "They blessed those seeds with their vows ahead of time. As a result, those seeds hold the promise of marriage. The magic of that flower pot is that if you put two seeds in it, it would grow into one flower; a symbol of their union."

Percy wasn't sure how she knew so much about satyr weddings, but he took her word for it. The ceremony concluded and everyone began to get up and dance. Grover and Juniper had hugged Percy, thanking him for coming and telling him that it meant a lot. Their attention seemed distracted though; the newlyweds had to go shake hands and greet everyone else who came. Percy and Grover knew where they stood with one another, so neither didn't necessarily need to give a big speech. He waved Grover off, and he ran off gratefully, pulling Juniper along with him.

Everyone at the wedding was either dancing, talking, laughing, or consuming the "food" that Grover and Juniper had provided. At the dancing area, everyone was moving to the colorful reed pipe song that Maron was playing. They were all doing this weird swing-dance thing in sync with one another.

As Percy looked on, he thought about the dance that he and Annabeth had shared years ago before they fought with the manticore. Even though there was more behind that adventure than Percy thought, he had fun at that dance. He really missed her. As he watched Jason and Piper, Leo and Calypso, Frank and Hazel, and Nico and Will dance, Percy felt like a lone wolf. He looked around for Thalia, but couldn't find her anywhere.

With sadness tugging his heart, he saluted to no one in particular, thrust his hands in his pocket, and headed off towards the water. As he walked up, a raft appeared in the water, ready for Percy to board. Percy took one last look at the wedding and climbed into it. He was going to will the current to take him away, but the raft took off on its own. Percy looked out towards the forest he was approaching. Exactly a minute later, Percy reached the forest and started to walk through it.

Suddenly, Percy's senses went haywire and he ducked just as a silver arrow embedded itself in the tree next to him. He whipped his head back up and looked towards the source of it.

He saw Thalia, in his T-shirt and her dark-wash jeans, holding her bow. Somehow, she had gotten across the river before Percy had even reached the other side. However, he saw her shadow travel ring glowing, and Percy realized how she got there.

She jogged up to him, opened her hands and made the bow disappear. "You were going to leave without saying bye? I had to shadow travel over here to catch you."

Percy tore his gaze away from her sparky blue eyes. He looked across the lake to see the wedding attendees dancing and laughing. "Yeah. I just…didn't feel like I belonged there anymore. It's just not the same. And honestly, I feel pretty alone."

Thalia hummed cheerfully, sharpening her arrow heads. "I see. Well, if you didn't realize, you have a superhero who always got your back. And I mean, who can really beat you with Wonder Woman on your side?"

Percy looked at her, who flashed him a grin. He sighed. "Hey, thanks for…thank you for everything. You've been absolutely amazing, and those comic books get me through the week."

She leaned against a nearby tree, worry swirling in her eyes. She made her arrow heads disappear. Her silvery outline flickered a bit.

That glow, plus her outfit and her quiet beauty made her look like the goddess of Camp Half-Blood.

"That's right. How's Mama Jackson?"

He ran his fingers through his hair and exhaled. The breeze whisked through the forest and blew Thalia's long, straight hair to the side.

"She's…doing better. She's been engaging in a lot of self-care. I'm glad though, because Paul and I are on the same page that she needs to relax on doing work for a while. It even seems that Cyrene is on the same page; she hasn't been crying too much. She's been more occupied with figuring out which type of roll is the most effective one to get her to the kitchen."

Thalia smiled and Percy suddenly feel so lonely.

"She's also been trying to get me to ask out this girl."

Thalia's smile melted off her face and a glowering expression had replaced it. Percy explained to her who Carly was and Thalia took out her arrows to sharpen once more.

"She sounds boring."

"Right?! I don't know if I can date someone…normal. Someone who's going to talk to me about sports, sororities, parties, alcohol, papers, grades…it all seems so…"

"Mundane?"

"Yes!"

Percy looked at Thalia, who had a small smile on her face now. She looked away and caught a pink petal that had made its way across the lake. "Well, I'm glad you're not settling."

He grinned. "Me too."

She raised an eyebrow and flicked the petal towards him. "Race you to the end of the forest?"

Percy's heart leapt. He hadn't raced anyone since he and Annabeth. "Sure."

Thalia pursed her lips and stepped forward to pick out the multiple petals that were in his hair from the wedding. "But to make it more interesting, Aquaman, I'm going to have my bow and arrows and I'm going to try to hunt this wolf down."

Percy gave her a devilish grin. "You think you're big and bad with those wolves in your pack, but you messed with the one wolf you can't control."

Thalia matched his expression. "You better start running. You have five seconds."

Percy apologized to Paul and tore off his tuxedo jacket. He untucked his pants, and took off his shoes and socks so he was barefoot. He unbuttoned his shirt so his bare chest was partially exposed, and rolled up his sleeves. He also rolled up his dress pants so they stopped at his knees like makeshift capris. He took off, sprinting through the forest. Adrenaline spiked through his body and Percy felt euphoria. He cried out as he ran. He heard Thalia's first step hit the ground a hundred feet behind him and immediately scaled a tree. From that tree, he began to jump from branch to branch, swinging through the forest like a combination of Tarzan, a monkey, and a wolf.

Thalia was running and shooting arrows as Percy progressed, dodging and avoiding them as they flew towards him at a whistling speed. Percy's petal had a glowing brown outline around it and Percy found both Thalia and himself screaming and laughing the entire time.

The Wolf and the hunter, for once in history, felt at home as they chased each other through the trees.


	27. Chapter 27

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or any related characters! Please, please, PLEASE review if you read; all feedback is greatly appreciated. You all are awesome, and thank you for reading my story!**

 _Six Months Since The Incident_

Percy just got off work and hustled out of the community center for three reasons.

The first was that he was _hungry._ He felt like he could eat a whole table's worth of his mother's cooking, and he planned to. The second was that he had a feeling that Thalia had sent him a package. It was Thursday, and Thalia hadn't sent a package on Thursday in weeks. Percy thought this may be the day. He was looking forward to her updates about her adventures and the comic book.

He and Thalia had planned to get a coffee after their forest race (Thalia won after an unsportsmanlike arrow to the knee) and just hang out, but Hunter Kowalski, one of the Hunters, had found them right outside of the forest. She told Thalia that Artemis was looking for her, and in an awkward moment, Thalia shook Percy's hand and rushed off into the forest before Percy could say bye.

Hunter had given him a disgusted up-down look as if to say, _"Why were you talking to her,"_ and jogged off after Thalia.

The third reason why he was anxious to leave the community center was that he had gone on a not-date with Carly.

And it was torture.

To appease his mother and avoid the incurrence of her wrath, he asked Carly to get ice cream. She had said yes immediately, and when he picked her up, she was wearing a short green dress with about a pound of makeup caked on her. She reminded him of Drew from the Aphrodite cabin. Percy told himself to tell his mother "I told you so," when he got home.

They got to the ice cream place and Carly had talked the entire time about her college, her sorority (he called it), her friends drinking too much and doing something dangerous, etc.

Percy usually liked ice cream, but he had lost his appetite as soon as Carly had launched into her stories. He was bored, and was struggling through her stories.

Suddenly, Carly had perked up and asked him, "You must be terribly bored."

Percy agreed.

She leaned forward. "Did you want to take this conversation back to my room?"

Percy did not agree.

She must've seen his face because she frowned. Then that smile came back. "Oh, that's why you look like that. We can go to your place if you want."

Percy had just stared at her and she frowned again. She was a nice girl, she was just…uninteresting. She cocked her head at Percy.

"You're feeling some other girl."

Percy jolted up so quickly that his knee banged the table and spilled a bit of his Oreo ice cream. "What? Why do you say that?"

Carly sat back and crossed her legs. "I just know. I know these things. No straight guy can turn down this and not be focused on some other girl."

Percy continued to stare at her as if she has just turned into Mrs. Dodds, then turned into a Fury. Carly huffed and stood up suddenly. "Percy. Come on. Is she cooler than me?"

He thought back to he and Thalia's conversation about Black Panther vs. Batman. He stood up.

"Yes. Come on, I'll take you home."

Carly's mouth had opened and closed multiple times like she had rehearsed a clever comeback, but it wasn't coming out. Finally, her mouth stayed closed and her face scrunched up so tight as she squealed. Percy had stood up and walked to his car as she was yelling and cursing him out. He thought it was funny when he had walked to the passenger side and opened her door for her like his mother taught him. She was still cursing and pointing, stopped and took a breath to say thank you, and then continued to yell.

And that was their "not-date." Now, Percy was trying to get out of the community center as soon as possible so he could avoid seeing Carly. He hopped in the car and drove home, almost tasting the amazing meal and feeling himself laugh at the new comic book from Thalia.

He got to the apartment complex, and spun his keys around his finger as he walked through the halls. He passed by one of his neighbors talking on the phone and smoking. She must have been out of weed, because she was trying to convince someone on the phone to buy her some more. She licked her teeth when she saw Percy and continued with her conversation.

He made it to his door, but before he entered, he heard two female voices. He recognized his mother's voice, and unless Cyrene learned how to talk in an adult woman voice, there was a visitor in their apartment. Percy's hand twitched. Since Riptide had lost its life months ago, Percy had to suffer through a few reflexive hand-to-the-pocket moves only to remember that he was weaponless.

Percy opened the door to see his mother on the far side of the couch, facing him. She was talking to a woman on the side of the couch closest to Percy, with her back to him. His mother saw him and smiled.

"Percy. This wonderful woman says that she knows Thalia."

The woman turned and it was a young woman in her twenties, who looked to be of Native American descent. Her dark black hair was worn down so it fell to her back. She wore a black windbreaker jacket, with a silver quarter-zip fleece sweater underneath it. She wore black cargo pants, along with winter boots. She was extremely beautiful, but struck Percy as mysterious, like the crescent moon. She had well-built shoulders and arms; Percy only recognized that body type on warriors. She had almost perfect facial features, but what struck Percy were her _eyes_. They were a striking combination of mostly silver, mixed with some grey and yellow in them.

When her eyes glowed, Percy knew.

He bowed to her. "Artemis."

The goddess cocked her head. "Hello, Percy. Please, sit."

His mother looked from Artemis to Percy. She met Percy's eyes and mouthed, _"Artemis…wow"_ and winked at him before leaving the room. Percy felt compelled to sit, so he did so. When he sat on the couch, he saw that she had a half-eaten peanut butter and jelly sandwich on a plate in front of her. Percy knew that his mother had given her the premium guest treatment.

Artemis watched his mother go. "She is an impressive woman. She would have made a good Hunter in her youth."

Percy tried for a smile. He felt like he was in a meeting with the principal about something that Percy had done, and only he knew what Percy did, but Percy was nervous because he had done _a lot_ of bad things and wasn't sure which one he was in trouble for.

"Thanks…I think."

Artemis shifted uncomfortably. "So…how…are you doing, Perseus?"

Percy's hair on the back of his neck stood up at the mention of his birth name, but he felt like Artemis was put up to this by someone. Small talk was unlike her. "Uh…I'm fine. How are you?"

Artemis' eyes glowed. "I cannot do this. I despise this tiny dialogue."

"You mean small ta-"

Artemis continued over Percy's attempted correction. "Perseus, do you know the story of Orion and Hippolytos?"

Percy had heard about Orion before, but only in comic books and in passing regarding the constellations in the sky. He shook his head. Artemis nodded as if she had expected that answer, and Percy suspected she would've told him the story even if he had said he did know it.

"Orion and Hippolytos were the only two men who found my favor. Orion met and befriended me on the island of Delos long ago. His hunting skills were…superb, and he had impressed me with his talent and his respect for the Wild. He impressed me so much, in fact, that I offered him a position with my Hunters."

Percy blinked twice. "You let a man into your Hunters."

Artemis nodded gravely. "Yes, I did. He surpassed all my Hunters in skill and in bravery. He accepted the position. Though it caused quite a stir among the gods and my Hunters, Orion kept a respectful distance at all times and only intervened when necessary. He…began to find favor with my heart."

Percy couldn't believe it. "I thought you were the maiden goddess?"

Artemis nodded once more. "Aye, I am. No man has ever defiled me. But Orion made my heart feel like it was being constantly attacked by fire."

She gazed off into the window and Percy wondered if having a heart on fire was Artemis' way of saying _in love._ He cleared his throat and she turned back to him.

"Alas, my brother Apollo was getting jealous. Orion was quite handsome and charming. He had won the respect of my Hunters as well as me. They began to accept his company more and more while they continued to treat Apollo like the regular chauvinist male. He wanted the attention. He entered Orion's mind at nightfall and sent him on an un-conquerable quest to hunt every beast on the planet."

Percy's throat was dry. The guy who had showed up at his door for help had done that to someone?

"The quest drove him insane. One cannot make his life goal to hunt every beast on the planet when more and more are born each day. One day, my Hunters and I found him dead on the ground, surrounded by dead animals. Apollo lied and claimed that he was afraid that I would give up my maidenhood to Orion. I did not believe him; I know my brother and my wrath fell upon him. But, to honor Orion, I made sure his constellation lives amongst the stars."

Percy felt bad for Artemis. The only guy she ever loved was driven insane and eventually killed by her jealous brother.

Artemis continued. "Hippolytos was the son of the hero Theseus, which I suppose makes him your ancient relative."

Percy blanched. He didn't know how he felt about having all these relatives with these tragic stories. Artemis looked at him with a playful glint in her eye. "He had a passion for hunting that I had not seen since Orion. He wasn't as skilled, but he felt more at home in the Wild than he did in the arms of any man or woman. The mortals today would have called him… _ah…_ 'aromantic.' Or 'asexual.' He just wanted to hunt, which I respected. I let him into my Hunters, and he ran with them, earning their respect as time went on as well."

Percy didn't like where this story was going. His namesake was one of the only people in Greek mythology to have a happy ending, and he didn't think that he was going to add another happy ending to the list.

"His very existence and lack of sexual attraction was almost an insult to Aphrodite. One day, the goddess of love sent him a beautiful being. The being could shift from male to female to a combination of the two. Their job was to seduce Hippolytos to spite me and show that every male has an insatiable desire for sexual intimacy. However, when Hippolytos encountered him, he stared at the being for a heartbeat. Translated to English, he then told them, 'You are in the way. A deer is right behind you.' He had turned down Aphrodite's attempt to indirectly seduce him, and as a result, she brought her wrath upon him. She fostered insanity in Theseus' head and sent him to kill his own son, which he did."

Percy's head had started to hurt. He felt like Aphrodite may be instilling insanity in his head as well. He rubbed it as he looked at Artemis. "Respectfully…Lord….Artemis…, why are you telling me this?"

She leaned towards him. "Any male who gets inappropriately involved with the Hunters of Artemis, no matter how well-meaning they are, meet a terrible fate."

He looked at the goddess dumbly. He thought about Thalia, but he wasn't sure that she was talking about her. Artemis sighed.

"Percy, I am here because Thalia has not been acting rationally lately. Ever since you all went on the excursion to rescue Cyrene, she has been…different."

Percy was caught off guard; Thalia had seemed just like herself when she had seen him at Grover's wedding a few months ago.

"She has been reckless, angry, and aggressive-"

"Well, that's just Thalia."

Artemis' eyes glowed and Percy decided to stop talking. "At night, she will hum a song that I've never heard before. She will sleep with a Camp Half-Blood shirt tucked tightly under her arm. A few of my newest Hunters questioned her about it, but she became defensive almost immediately. Every opportunity she gets on our adventures, she will stand by a body of water and just look out at it. She does this a lot at night, as well. I can sense the sadness and longing emanating from her heart, and I don't need an enchanted flower petal to do that."

Percy hid his petal underneath his leg. It had been glowing a deep blue.

Artemis turned her eyes on the half-eaten sandwich. "Though her actions spell dedication to the Hunters, her mind and heart is somewhere else."

Artemis regarded Percy, and for a moment, he thought he saw the moon in her eyes. In a voice that dripped with slight malice, she asked him, "You would have her break her oath of maidenhood?"

Percy felt like running out of the apartment. He couldn't believe this was happening. "But that's just…that's just ridiculous. Thalia doesn't like me. And she doesn't definitely won't give up her immortality for me."

"And why is that?"

"Because…because she…loves to attack me and correct me and try to kill me! She never said anything…about…"

"Did the daughter of Athena not do that as well?"

She got him there. Percy thought back to how Annabeth had treated him before they were dating, and there was definitely an overlap between behavior. But Thalia was a Hunter…she would never give that up. That's part of who she is.

Artemis asked him a question that almost made him choke on his own saliva. "Do you feel for her?"

Percy felt his petal glow, but didn't dare take it out to see what color it was glowing. His heart folded itself and he felt his hands sweating.

Artemis watched him hesitate and nodded. "Aye, I have seen the look on Thalia before. I've seen them on my Hunters who resign and go fight with the Amazons. I know how she feels. And now, I know how you feel. But she swore an oath to be my lieutenant, and she must uphold her promise of no men. So, I implore you…whatever you do, son of Poseidon-"

She leaned forward some more so she was looking straight into his eyes.

"-you cannot have Thalia's heart while she runs with my pack of Hunters."

After a heartbeat of silence, Cyrene began crying, and Percy looks down miserably at the couch. He thought about his date with Carly and how in a rare moment of awareness, she called him out on his feelings. Percy realized that Thalia's packages were on the list of what he looked forward to the most. He caught himself missing her scent on some nights. He thought about her a lot.

He _did_ feel something for Thalia.

He remembered Annabeth and Chiron, under different circumstances, telling him that he was just like Thalia. Annabeth had said that it was "scary" how alike he and Thalia were. And when she had been resurrected by the Fleece, Percy was the first one that she had seen in her chance at a new life. But when she opened her eyes, Percy knew that she was going to be different. Her eyes were electric blue as opposed to the stormy green that he had seen in his dreams. Years later, the two of them have matured, they are among the only people who can really get to one another. Percy cared about everyone at Camp Half-Blood, but he could only see himself crying in front of one person.

She was intelligent, strong, loyal, funny, beautiful, and brutal in combat. She relates to Percy and has the same love for comic books and the same investment in this crazy world as he does. She was a natural leader and had the power to both strike fear in others as well as soothe him to sleep. He'd be crazy _not_ to be crazy about her.

But did Thalia really feel something for him?

Whatever the answer, though, Artemis was right. He didn't want to be the cause of her losing her immortality and her place with the Hunters; that was her home.

He nodded at Artemis and she nodded in turn. She picked up the half of the sandwich and finished it. Somehow, she even looked graceful eating a sandwich. She seemed to be in deep thought for a second as she finished his mother's snack.

After a few seconds, she turned to him with a few crumbs on her cheek.

"Perseus, you have my respect. You are humble, brave, and have been raised around strong women. Some of which, have very strong lungs."

Artemis smiled as Percy heard Cyrene crying once more. He leapt over the couch and gave Cyrene her favorite toy; a plush shark that he bought her at the local aquarium. Cyrene stopped crying and hugged the toy close to her. Percy walked back to the couch as Artemis stared at him.

"I haven't made this offer since Hippolytos, but would you like to join my Hunters? You would be closer to Thalia, but you would not be able to… _court_ her. You would be immortal and you would only fall in battle."

Percy felt like the room was spinning. Him? Be a Hunter? He imagined himself in silver gear, running alongside Thalia and the Hunters like he was with Lupa's pack. He imagined fighting with a group of teenage girls for all time and talking comic books by the fire with Thalia.

"Thank you for the offer, but I'm going to pass, Artemis. Honestly, it's not for me. The Hunters should be passionate about the Wild and should only have a few focuses in life, which is hunting and serving you. And in truth, I don't think that I would be able to do that with all my being. I would be too worried about Camp Half-Blood, too focused on my mother and keeping Cyrene safe, as well as continuously finding other things to worry about. I don't think I would be able to serve you to the best of my ability. I understand what you are trying to tell me regarding Thalia, though, and I will keep that in mind."

Artemis wiped the crumbs off her mouth and continued to stare at him without blinking. "I predicted you turning down my offer. You remind me a lot of your father, in looks and in personality. You're too much of a free spirit to be tied down so easily. I believe that your final calling will be to the sea."

Artemis stood up while Percy tried to figure out what her last statement meant. She looked towards Cyrene and began to head out.

Percy's mother appeared in the doorway, wiping her hand on a towel. "You're leaving?"

Artemis turned to regard Ms. Jackson. She nodded. "Yes, ma'am. Thank you for allowing me into your home."

Percy's mother waved her hand dismissively. "Come by any time. I'll always have time to make you and any of the other gods snacks!"

Despite the turmoil in his heart, Percy smiled. He knew his mother meant what she said; she would literally bake snacks for the gods and make it special for one god in particular.

Artemis gave her a smile. "Thank you, Ms. Jackson. Your hospitality does you well, and you have found favor with me. I will personally make sure that your daughter lives a long and fruitful life."

His mom blinked. "Oh…oh-okay. Thank you…for that!"

Artemis looked at Percy one more time meaningfully and disappeared into mist.


	28. Chapter 28

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or any related characters! Please, please, PLEASE review if you read; all feedback is greatly appreciated. You all are awesome, and thank you for reading my story!**

 _Nine Months Since The Incident_

Percy had been promoted to shift leader at the community center as a reward for his work within the center. He had proposed a new initiative of starting a youth swimming league, which had gotten picked up and became popular.

The children around Percy's apartment didn't have the best influences and had a bad pattern of starting to engage in delinquent activities at a fairly young age. They would learn the culture of crime and drugs from the older generation and they would grow up surrounded by it, taking their lessons to the streets. They would then mentor the younger generation and teach them how to be just like them, starting the cycle over again.

Percy had thought about that when he was walking to work and passed by a few twelve-year-old's smoking weed in an alley that was littered with colorful graffiti of curse words. In the artist's defense, it was pretty good. The kids were giggling and laughing about how "bad" and "hard" they were. However, when Percy had passed them, they scrambled away.

He thought about how he wasn't the best-behaved kid when he was in school years ago, but the intervention of Camp Half-Blood had saved his life. He most likely would have ended up in jail, or worse, if he would've kept having those "accidents" that would harm people. Fortunately, Camp gave him an outlet and an opportunity to succeed in something. It taught him discipline, honor, focus, and gave him a home where he didn't feel so different and alone.

Percy decided to take that same concept and apply it to swimming. He had gone to his boss, Josh, in his office. Josh was an interesting character; he had the good looks of a god and believed that his body was the greatest gift that he could ever give to mankind.

"My body is an oiled machine. Water is my blood. Vitamins are my food. 15k runs are my hobby. If you're sick, take the rest of the day off. If you're sick and you come near me, you're fired and I will exact my vengeance upon you within the next week," he would usually say.

Percy had walked into his office one day a few months ago, and his boss swung his chair to look at him. His desk was littered with different stacks of papers, floating rings, swimming trunks, and those water toys that people…mostly _kids,_ play with in the pool. Josh had tanned skin, a chiseled face, and brown hair styled in a cropped haircut. His smile could power New York for a day, and his muscles rippled under his clothes. Even though he must have been pushing forty, he and his vibe reminded Percy of those camp counselors who tried way too hard to be cool.

When his boss registered Percy in his office, he pointed at Percy's face. "Perrrrcyyyyyy Jackson! How may I help you today, my tanned, aquatic brother?"

Percy silently wished he would never call him that again. "Hey, I was wondering if we could possibly start a swim team for the community. I think it could help kids get off the streets and focus their attention onto something productive and constructive. We can make it free to learn how to swim, and then they begin to pay monthly once they start to participate in meets and competitions. It would help decrease crime around the area, especially based on the premise of the Social Disorganization and the Social Control theories of crime."

Josh blinked and his usually permanent smile flickered. "Sorry? Are you calling me disorganized and controlling?"

Percy blinked in return. "Uh, no, they're actually theories of cri-"

"Good! Glad to hear it. I will make sure that gets done. Let's do this!"

Josh's smile was plastered on his face once more, and he clapped his hands and ran out the door towards no destination in particular. Percy watched him go.

The Social Disorganization and the Social Control Theories of crime were concepts that Annabeth had taught him. The former basically said that a person's environment is primarily responsible for the choices they make; a neighborhood with a lack of initiatives, bad schools, and high unemployment can prompt crime in the area. The latter said that every institution that someone is a part of provides a sort of set of expectations and an environment that controls a person's behavior. As an example, if Kofi wanted to join the swim team, he might not mug the lady outside the community center because he may get arrested and be unable to join the team. In that case, the institution of a swim team served as a control for Kofi's behavior.

Annabeth had been impressed with how much he retained of her lessons, but Percy tended to learn best when it applied directly to him in the real world. He _did_ want to help the youth in the city, but never really have the time or the job title to do anything about it. Now, he did. Kind of.

Recently, Percy was on his lifeguard chair watching Carly teach the kids how to swim. The smell of chlorine wafted through the air. The sound of screaming and splashing was pervasive and unending.

Percy's necklace swung from his neck; it had all his Camp Half-Blood beads, a few small tridents, and Calypso's beads/bracelet charms, with the petal hanging straight down the middle. His mother had woven Calypso's bracelet and his Camp Half-Blood beads into one necklace that Percy wore every day.

When Josh or any of the kids asked Percy what his "SPQR" markings meant, he told them that it was a tattoo that meant "Some People Quickly Run." Josh especially approved of that and told him that he had gotten the job partly because of that.

As he looked out towards the pool and saw them splashing each other and having fun, Percy thought the initiative had been a good turnout; about fifty kids between the ages of seven to twelve showed up at the pool, ready and willing to learn during their first meeting. They were a little difficult at first, but after a flash of his Wolf stare, they would quiet down and pay attention. They were actually good students when they applied themselves. They reminded Percy of himself.

As forward as Carly was romantically, she was a good teacher. When they were quiet, the kids seemed to really love her (which was definitely not because they had a crush on her). Things between he and Carly weren't as bad. Though it was still a bit awkward, both had respect for one another's skills regarding lifeguarding. Carly was a good teacher and he was a good swimmer/savior of reckless kids and non-swimming adults.

The clock struck five and Percy blew his whistle. "That's time!"

He was met with a collective _awwwww_.

"Just five more minutes!"

"Come on, Percy!"

"If I get you a donut, can we stay longer?"

Percy shook his head, thought the donut was tempting. "You all have been here since my shift started…at _ten._ We've been here for seven hours, I'm sure you all need to get home. Let's give Ms. Carly a high-five and we will see you on Monday."

The kids swam over to hug Carly instead as Percy hopped out of his chair and headed to his car. He drove back to the apartment and when he entered, he saw two people playing with Cyrene.

At one year old, Cyrene was an expert crawler and had even taken her first few steps. She has consolidated the entire task of eating for herself, taking things in her small hands and putting them in her mouth with limited accuracy. She had started to say words like, "Mama," and "Per-Per," but never "Paul," or "Da-Da." She had a funny habit of going on long rants about something and having only a small percentage of the words be actual words; the rest of it would just be babble. However, it was babble that Cyrene was quite passionate about, so Percy sit there and act like he was listening by nodding his head and smiling.

The two people playing with her seemed to be having a lot of fun. One had hooves for feet and a mop of curly hair on his head, accentuated by large horns and thick muscles. The other had long, straight black hair with a black and silver shirt and camo pants. She had a glowing outline around her body and electric blue eyes.

He grinned at them. "Thalia! Grover!"

They both smiled and ran forward to give him a three-person hug. While in the embrace, Percy thought about Thalia.

Ever since Artemis had gone out of his way to come to his apartment and tell him to stay away from Thalia, he felt weird about the packages he would get. They were all unopened in the corner of his room, and as much as he wanted to open them and hear all about how she was doing, he felt like he was doing… _something_ by just stacking them. It wasn't like he could find her and tell her to leave him alone; she was all over the country on countless adventures.

But he thought about her every day. Multiple times every day. It was like he couldn't stop. He would find himself talking about her to his mother, who would be eating and nodding.

"I think you should ask her out," she would respond every time.

Every time, Percy would shake his head. "Artemis told me to specifically stay away from Thalia."

His mom had put a forkful of spaghetti in her mouth before responding. "I thought you said you were impertinent. I thought you were the one who stood up to Ares, the one who refused to bow for Mars, the one who verbally attacked Mr. D, the one who stood tall against Hades when I was taken. This is my son, the one who follows his heart no matter what trouble it gets him in."

One day, Percy relented and twirled his spaghetti. "What if she says no, Mom?"

His mother had grabbed his hand. "If she knows you, she knows how much of a catch you are."

"You're supposed to say that. You're my mom," Percy had grumbled.

She smiled in response. "Yes. But it's also true, so…double win for me."

Now that Thalia was here, he didn't know how to feel. However, he didn't have time to think for long because Grover stepped forward. "Percy, we're taking you to Olympus!"

Olympus wasn't someplace that one could just "visit" on a road trip.

Percy blinked. "What time?"

He had learned to not ask "why" for things like these; he usually found out the reason fairly quickly.

Grover grinned and shifted his weight from hoof to hoof. "Not sure. They say that it's a ceremony of mystery, which is their way of saying it's a secret. But they want us three to come."

Percy looked at Thalia, who was smiling as well; she and Grover were so excited that it was impossible for Percy to not feel the excitement as well.

"MOM! I'm going to Olympus!"

"Okay!"

Percy smiled and turned to Grover and Thalia. "So how are we getting there?"

"With these," Grover took out three white pearls that reminded Percy of the ones he had received on his first adventure. He put them on the ground and Thalia and Percy stood in front of one, ready to step on it.

Cyrene tried to walk over, but ended up crawling. She got to him, stood up shakily, and hugged his leg. "Per-Per."

Thalia's eyes shined and Grover smiled. His mom came out from the bedroom and saw Cyrene hugging her son's leg. She smiled and scooped her up. Though she was in her mother's arms, Percy's sister was still reaching out to Percy as if she didn't want him to go.

Thalia's smile widened. "She's so cute."

Percy's mom bounced Cyrene. "Yeah, she's starting to pick favorites now. Percy is definitely a favorite."

"Yes, he is."

Percy found his hands starting to get damp, and he looked at Thalia and Grover. "Are we ready?"

The two of them nodded and Percy kissed Cyrene on the forehead. On the count of three, they slammed their feet on the petals and disappeared in a golden-white swirl of light.

They reappeared in the throne room of Olympus, and it still took his breath way. Even with more than six years of demigod adventures, he'd only been to Olympus a few times. Huge columns rose to a domed ceiling, which seemed to be rotating with the constellations in the sky. The walls were marble white with gold linings flowing all through it like liquid. There were twelve massive thrones formed in a U shape, with Hestia tending the fire in the middle of the shape. _All_ of the Olympian gods were sitting on their throne. Even the minor gods were there, standing around the fire pit to form a weird concentric _U,_ where the Olympian gods were on the outside _U,_ and the minor gods were in the inner _U._ Percy saw statues of the most popular demigods behind the thrones and he saw Annabeth's vision in the finished throne room.

Percy, Thalia, and Grover had appeared right in front of the hearth fire, but no heat was aggressively slapping them in the face. Hestia smiled at him knowingly, then went back to the fire. Zeus sat on his redesigned throne in his usual pinstripe suit. To his left was Poseidon, dressed in his usual fisherman's garb and to Zeus' right was actually Hades. He lounged lazily in the chair and regarded Percy with a quiet ferocity. Percy realized that the Big Three was finally sitting together, next to one another. Hera had been relocated to the middle of the left side of the "U" shape, and she did not look happy. Athena gazed long and hard at Percy, making him bristle with discomfort. He turned away, only to see Artemis doing the exact same thing. Ares shimmered between this form and Mars.

Zeus stood and lightning flashed at the top of the throne room. "Percy Jackson, Thalia Grace, and Grover Underwood. We call you here to offer our gratitude for saving Camp Half-Blood and eliminating the threat of Arachne."

Percy narrowed his eyes. "Well, we really couldn't have done it witho-"

"We have news for you," Zeus continued. Percy realized that interruptions were a habit of gods.

The three heroes looked up to Zeus expectantly; they had never been called to Olympus for any news; they would just send a letter or send a dream. Whatever the news was must have been important to call them to the throne room.

"Annabeth Chase has been reborn. She has had her memories wiped of her previous life, but her essence is now on this planet once more."

Percy's heart tugged. He didn't know how he should feel about that; it _was_ nine months since she had chosen rebirth, and Percy guessed that there was no waiting time. She had a new life, and like Beckendorf said; he hoped that she finds the peace to live a normal life. He remembered his mother being surprised that Percy was getting over Annabeth and getting on Thalia so quickly. Paul had reminded her, though, that demigods are trained as warriors and are taught that death is a very real possibility in their adventures. Plus, it's not like she died and her entire being ended; she was reborn somewhere. It was almost like she had been recycled.

Athena bore into his eyes as if she was hearing his thoughts and disapproved of what he was thinking. The Goddess of Wisdom had quickly become one of his least favorite goddesses after he heard about Annabeth. Zeus continued.

"We know that you three were close to her in her first life and you three even care about her up until this day. Would you like to know who she is in her new life? You would be able to protect her lest any harm come to her. We would be able to tell you if she is a demigod or if she will be involved in any other pantheon of gods."

Percy looked at Thalia and Grover, who were both looking at him. Through Percy's empathy link, he felt Grover's emotions and he knew Thalia well enough to tell what she was thinking.

Simultaneously, all three of them said, "Nah."

Grover stepped forward. His newfound confidence was really suiting him. "Thank you, Lord Zeus, for the offer. But I want her to have her own life. If it's still her essence, she will be resourceful and smart."

Thalia stepped forward as well. Zeus' eyes seemed to soften a little when regarding his daughter. Conversely, Artemis' eyes steeled a bit. "We would like her to succeed on her own merit. Our involvement will just attract more monsters."

Percy nodded. He was grateful for his friends; they had the same idea, but looked at it through different lenses. He stepped forward so he was parallel with Thalia and Grover.

"I think it would be best if we didn't know who she is. This new person, whoever they are, is their own person and deserves the chance to have control over their own life. Something that we," Percy beckoned towards Thalia and Grover. "-were never able to afford."

Poseidon stood and Zeus sat. Percy's father's power emanated from his body and his smile lines deepened as he looked at the three. "I'm going to get straight to the point, no big speeches. Percy, will you take godship once more? We have never offered godship twice, but we think you would make a really strong addition to the team. You would keep us humble."

Artemis' silver eyes seemed to melt his soul as she looked at him. He felt all eyes on him, including Thalia. Poseidon continued. "You would be Perseus, the God of Heroes, Tides, and Swordsmanship."

Zeus stood. "As well as the intern for the position of God of the Seas."

Percy looked at Zeus. He wasn't aware this was something you had to apply for. "Intern…?"

Aphrodite smiled. Percy didn't know how to feel about her. He knew that she had something to do with these feelings he had, especially since she had promised him a good tragic love story. He wondered if he was only feeling this way because she wanted to get back at Artemis for maidenhood, or at Thalia for choosing the Hunters over love.

However, she seemed in a good mood. "Of course. The gods won't be here forever. One day, we will fall and the demigods will oversee this plane of existence."

Percy almost passed out. Seeing himself on Poseidon's throne, controlling all the seas? That seemed like too much for him. But he supposed that was the point of the "intern" position; to help cultivate and develop his godly powers so when he would finally step up as the god, he would be experienced already.

He thought about it, though. He looked at Thalia, whose blue eyes were swirling at him. She nodded her head and gave him a small smile that warmed his heart.

" _Not bad, Aquaman,"_ was what she seemed to be saying. Thalia was immortal and ran with the Hunters of Artemis. If he couldn't date her and Annabeth was reborn into another life; what reason did he really have to stay mortal and die? Percy thought about all the good and all the bad that came with godship.

The bad:

He couldn't date mortal girls…? Was that a bad?

His friends and family would age and die around him and he would stay the same age.

He would be immortal. That's a long time to be Percy.

Ares and Athena would probably take turns kicking his butt.

He would never be able to escape this life.

He would have to pass the shift leader position to Carly.

His mother may be angry with him.

He wouldn't be a hero any more.

The good:

He would be able to protect his family by both being there and having the power to literally melt any monster that comes near them. Him living on Olympus would also get rid of his apartment search. He would be able to live there and not put his family in danger with his demigod scent.

He could protect Camp Half-Blood with his new powers.

Being the god of Heroes, Tides and Swordsmanship means that he's going to probably be overseeing and mentoring heroes.

He would get to hang out with his father for a while.

His mother may be happy that he is out of the constant danger.

He could talk about comics with Thalia all day long, for a long time.

He could be free from this life as a hero.

Percy realized that on both his good and bad list, he had one overlapping idea.

If accepted godship, Percy Jackson wouldn't be a hero anymore.


	29. Chapter 29

Percy thought about how much of a mixed bag being a hero was; it was exciting, exhilarating, and fulfilling, but it was also dangerous, depressing, and resulted in a high level of burnout. However, Percy had been a hero for six years. He thought it was enough for him. He thought that it was time for other heroes to step into the spotlight and that he needed to continue to move forward in a world without Annabeth.

Poseidon pressed gently. "Well, my son?"

The image of Cyrene trying to walk to her brother flashed through his head, as well as Paul teaching him how to wear a tux and his mother eating spaghetti.

Percy looked up at his father.

"Yes. I accept."

A ripple of excitement went through the room.

Grover grinned and put his arms above his head in celebration. Thalia gave him a high-five.

"Way to go, Aquaman."

Percy smiled in response. Athena and Artemis looked at him with unreadable expressions. Poseidon's smile warmed Percy's heart and Zeus grunted. "Well, it's about time. Hands up!"

Every god in the room put their right hand up and suddenly, Percy felt a huge warmth in his body. He felt wind in the room and saw the wind glow into a shining golden color. It swirled around him like Grover's wedding petals swirled around the area. He felt the urge to close his eyes and his mouth, and he did that. Instantly, he opened them again, but golden flames were coming out of them. His body levitated about one foot off the ground, and energy was seeming to bend around him. Percy felt power, _intense power,_ flow through him. He felt every ache and every soreness disappear from his body and after a few seconds, he dropped to the floor.

He felt…a lot like regular Percy. Except a lot stronger. He felt like he had taken about ten baths in the River Styx and that he was constantly in the middle of the sea; alert, strong, and at peace. He felt energy and power brimming at the surface, that he had to consciously hold down. He figured that this was his godly form, anxious to break out and show itself, melting all faces of mortals that looked upon it. At one time, he felt every single tide, wave, and current in every body of water throughout the entire world. Each one seemed to be pulling him there at once, so if Percy wanted to, he could materialize at whatever tide he wanted to.

"GROVER UNDERWOOD!"

Dionysus stood up, and he looked pretty official; slimmed down and wearing a suit now. Percy wondered where he had been, but remembered that Annabeth told him that he was living with his immortal wife in Olympus under a pardon by Zeus.

Grover looked up at him and knelt. "Lord Dionysus."

"We would like you to come live on Olympus as our new God of the Wild. It is a promotion from your original position of Lord of the Wild. It comes with full benefits, and the power of Pan. We have a new residence for you created among our Olympian Gardens."

Grover's jaw fell slack for a second and Percy recognized that as what he would do before he would pass out. However, Grover stopped himself from losing consciousness and took a breath.

"Lord Dionysus, I can't live on Olympus. I…I couldn't leave Juniper like that. We just got married."

Aphrodite smiled warmly. "Grover, we really need you for this job. Tell us that she needs to live with you as your immortal bride or you won't take it."

Grover hesitated. "Um…Juniper…needs to live with me as my immortal bride or you…I mean I, won't take the job."

Aphrodite put her hand on her forehead dramatically. "Oh, no. You drive such a hard bargain. We accept."

Zeus stifled a chuckle. "Everyone, hands up."

In the same process, Grover was made into a God of the Wild. Juniper had appeared in the throne room, undoubtedly confused about how and why she was there. Grover ran over and hugged her, pulling her to the corner to update her. However, as he started to explain, he passed out and Juniper spent the next few minutes cradling Grover's head.

"THALIA GRACE!"

It reminded Percy of the first time that Zeus had boomed his name when he was only twelve years old. He had been scared that the gods were going to kill him, but they voted otherwise.

Thalia looked at Percy and he gave her an encouraging smile. "You got this."

She nodded gratefully and looked at him for a beat too long. She stepped up and knelt at the feet of her father.

Zeus looked at her and said, "Thalia, you make me proud. You and Jason are my favorite children, even above Heracles and Perseus."

Percy grinned at Poseidon, who matched his smile.

Thalia straightened up and gave a brilliant smile that made Percy's heart do a tap dance. "Thanks…Dad."

Artemis had one tear coming down her eye and sliding down her cheek as she regarded Thalia. Percy wondered what she was thinking about.

Thalia took a shaky breath. "Father, I would like to say something before you speak."

Zeus sat back and beckoned her to go on.

"For a few years, I have been serving as one of the Hunters of Artemis. It was one of the best experiences I've ever had and I found a family among those women. Artemis was one of the best mentors I could ever ask for. However-"

Percy stepped forward. He grabbed Thalia's shoulder. "Thalia, don't."

She whipped towards him with lightning in her eyes and Percy took a step back. She regarded the Olympians once more.

"-I must retire from my position among the Hunters of Artemis."

A ripple of discomfort and disbelief flowed over the crowd. Everyone looked at one another in confusion and whispereed to one another. Artemis continued to look on. Percy realized that she must have seen this coming.

Thalia sighed, and in a moment that made Percy feel like lightning was racing through his body, she said, "I am in love with Percy Jackson. Years ago, you couldn't have paid me to believe that was ever going to happen, but here I am, saying this. He is strong, honorable, courageous, brave, loyal, humble, a good fighter, and a better man. He has provided me comfort in the darkest of days and he has been on my mind like…a tumor. He's been in my heart for the better part of a year, and when I left him, I felt like I was missing something inside. With these feelings, I don't believe that I can serve Artemis with all of my being, and she deserves nothing less from her lieutenant."

Thalia knelt at the feet of Artemis and put a closed fist to her chest. "I am leaving the Hunters of Artemis for the company of a man. I understand that this means that you turn me into whatever animal you see fit."

The room flipped upside down for Percy and he tried to move or say something. The petal on his necklace was glowing a purple, then a pink, then a red.

 _An animal?_ Percy realized that he didn't know much about Hunter lore and the logistics of the oath they swear, but his hand still went reflexively to his pocket.

Artemis watched Thalia with an unreadable expression. She flashed her eyes towards Percy, and back towards Thalia. The throne room was deathly quiet as the constellations above continued to move. Artemis looked up at the stars and the constellations of Zoe and Orion glowed. She sighed.

"Thalia Grace, you joined the Hunters of Artemis out of a broken heart and you are now leaving it due to an aching one. Orion almost had my heart once, and I was not sure if I would have given up my maidenhood for him. But, I did consider it once. Your actions with the Hunters have showed great dedication to the Hunt, but your actions regarding Percy have shown me what I would've done for Orion out of love. But, a promise of consequences is a promise that must be kept."

She extended hand and Percy ran in front of Thalia protectively. "NO! Don't do this, Artemis. Turn me into one, but not her. This world could do without me, but not without Thalia…in human form."

Artemis' eyes glowed. "Move, Jackson."

Grover stepped from the corner. "Percy! MOVE!"

Percy felt his eyes glow sea green as well. " _No._ I am a god now. I won't let you hurt her. She has been your loyal lieutenant for years, and now you're going to turn her into an animal because she had a _feeling_?!"

Artemis regarded him and he stared back at her, feeling the Wolf on his face. He saw her muscles tense and he realized that she would not be as easy of an opponent as Ares was. But Thalia was worth him trying.

As he looked at Artemis, he felt a warm hand slip into his. Thalia reached kissed him on the cheek. Percy felt power and a strong current rush through his body.

"Percy, thank you. But this is what I have to do."

He felt like she was sacrificing herself on Half-Blood Hill again, but this time, he was there to feel himself losing her. And he felt distraught. He had turned into a god partly for Thalia, and now she was going to turn into an animal.

But Thalia lived by a code of honor and strength. Percy thought about what he knew about Thalia and concluded that for him to stand in the way of her code of honor would almost be an insult to her.

Poseidon shifted uneasily. "Son, move out of the way."

Percy felt like someone was pulling his blood towards Thalia, but he stepped back so she was in the path of Artemis. Grover slung an arm around his shoulder. The Goddess of the Hunt's finger glowed and golden light surrounded Thalia.

It enveloped her so Percy couldn't see her any more.

He screamed and went to run to her, but Grover held him back.

Once the light faded though, Thalia was still there. Her silvery glow was not around her anymore and Percy's godly eyes could immediately see one thing.

Thalia Grace was mortal.

Percy could somehow both see and feel her insides slowly dying and the estimate that she would live about 71 more years popped into his head. Artemis sat back in her chair and Percy was wondering if it didn't work.

Thalia was thinking the same thing. "Did you want to try again or…?"

A hint of a smile played on Artemis' lips. "I took away your immortality, as is custom of the Hunter code. And I did turn you into an animal, Grace. The worst kind of animal; a woman in love."

 _A woman in love is the worst kind of animal?_

Percy looked at Thalia who had a grateful smile on her face. "I will take being a mortal girl over a boar any day. Thank you, Lady Artemis."

Artemis put up her finger. "And now for your subsequent offer-"

Percy looked in confusion to Poseidon, who just winked at him.

Zeus stood up once more. "Thalia Grace, will you accept a position as the Goddess of Lightning? You would be a minor goddess, and you would intern under either me or Artemis to take our positions in the future. Should you accept, you would have your immortality restored and you would make a choice regarding who you wanted to study under."

Thalia nodded and wiped at her eye. "I accept."

In a cyclone of golden-white light, Thalia was still there in her previous clothes, but she now had a golden aura around her. Percy wondered if that's what he looked like. She looked between Artemis and Zeus, trying to make her decision. The King of the Olympians and the God of the Sky, or the Goddess of the Hunt.

Then she did the unexpected, which is signature of Thalia.

She stepped forward and declared, "I will study under Artemis, as the intern to the Goddess of the Hunt."

Percy thought that he saw sadness in Zeus' eyes. Thalia expanded, "I believe that I still have to make up my resignation from the Hunters to Artemis, and I plan to do that. I also already have the years of experience with Artemis. Uh, and I'm still afraid of heights. However, the main reason is that I truly believe that my brother will find his way to this same position one day, and I know where he belongs; interning for the Lord of the Sky. One of these days, he may rule Olympus, and under your guidance, I believe he would thrive."

Zeus gave a tight smile and though Artemis had a straight face, pride danced in her eyes. Percy felt pure pride surge through his body.

Aphrodite shifted positions. "It would do you all good to find either a consort or an immortal spouse. Eternity can get lonely."

With a wink, Grover, Juniper, Percy, and Thalia were teleported to Olympus' Gardens.

It was a large circular area that was about 500 feet in diameter. In the center was a stone-wall house that bloomed with flowers, vines, and woodland magic. There was a marble white path that led from the house and split into multiple walking paths through the gardens. On every side of every path were all different types of otherworldly and earthly plants. It looked like Demeter and Persephone had planted these themselves and Calypso tended them individually. Each plant, tree, and flower were blooming at top quality. The trees stretched high and healthily. There were flowers of each color of the window; red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, pink, white, and different fluorescent combinations of the colors. There was dew on all of the plants, as if they had been freshly watered.

Percy and Thalia were turning and looking at the Olympic Gardens in wonder. Grover clapped his shoulder.

"Yo, Juniper and I are going to go check out our new house. We'll meet up with you…"

His brow furrowed as he frowned, looking at Percy and Thalia like he wasn't used to referring to them as a couple. Thalia grinned though. "We'll meet back up with you and Juniper later, Grover."

Grover was still looking between the new God of Heroes and the Goddess of Lightning and pointing at them like he was trying to solve a math problem. Juniper rolled her eyes and pulled Grover's wrist. "We'll see you all later!"

They jogged up to the house and Percy looked at Thalia. She still looked lithe and strong, and her skin was shining with the godly energy. Her hair was automatically perfectly combed and her eyes literally glowed with power. With her Hunter's outfit on, her glowing eyes, and her now godly aura, she almost reminded Percy of Artemis. But he knew she was different.

And gods, she was perfect.

He offered his arm as if they were in the 1950's, and Thalia slung her arm through it. They walked through the gardens and his petal was glowing a constant pink/purple. As they walked, they pointed out their favorite flowers, plants, and trees as they related it to the multiple adventures it reminded them of.

They finally arrived at a space where the path spread out into a rest area with multiple stone benches. In front of them were long plants with skinny, purple flowers that had an ethereal luminescence to them. He looked at Thalia and she smiled at him.

"Well, I don't think I have to tell you again, but…"

Percy's heart twisted. He began to get nervous and happy at the same time. She had given up the blessing of Artemis and immortality for him; because she was in love with him. He felt like doing fifteen backflips. Thalia was all he could think about over the few months. He felt good about his decision.

He thought about Artemis telling him that she believed that his calling was the "sea." He didn't know what she was talking about at the time, but either she could tell the future, or she was speaking in vague terms on purpose so she would have a large umbrella of her correctness as the future played out.

One day, he was going to be the God of the Seas. But now, he was the God of Heroes, Tides, and Swordsmanship. He wondered if he was going to get a new Riptide, but that didn't matter to him at the moment. What mattered was that he was walking through the Olympian Gardens with the radiant Thalia, Goddess of Lightning. And she was going to tell her how she feels. He felt like the stereotypical girl on a date who's excited that the guy was going to ask her to go steady.

Thalia took a breath. "…but Batman is twice as good as Black Panther. He'd annihilate him."

Percy ripped his arm from hers. "Lie again. Black Panther is a _king._ He _is_ Bruce Wayne, but just a better version."

"Mm, I don't know about that. Bruce Wayne could run the country if he wanted to. And he has better gadgets and toys than the Panther. All that guy uses is his cat suit. I mean, a guy who dresses like a cat definitely has issues."

Percy couldn't believe it. "I can't believe you. Bruce Wayne dresses up like a bat because it burst through his window _once._ ONCE?! That's like me dressing up as a Pegasus because I saw it once. Black Panther doesn't need the toys because he is formidable without it."

Thalia's eyes sparked. "Bruce Wayne has Alfred. So he automatically wins this fi-"

While she was talking, Percy moved forward, grabbed her face and kissed her long and deep.

Her lips were warm and powerful. His body began to tingle, but in a good way. He felt like his insides were sparking alive and his petal glowed a half yellow, half purple. She was caught off guard at first, but then melted into the kiss, holding his face and pulling herself close to him. When they finally released, they looked at one another. Her eyes glowed as she smiled at him, then looked down to the flowers blooming on the ground.

Percy cleared his throat. "That was…"

"Late." Thalia laughed awkwardly. But a good awkward; that had been their first kiss.

"I know. Sorry. I felt like it was-"

She shook her head. "Shut up, Aquaman."

She kissed him again, throwing her arms around his neck and sending life into his insides. Electricity raced through his heart.

They kissed again. And again. And again. The more they kissed, the more the flowers, plants, and trees began to bloom around them. Despite all the wonderful scents, only one was permeating Percy's entire being; the smell of Christmas.

Percy felt at home. Not at the apartment in New York, not at Camp Half-Blood, but in the lightning.

With Thalia.

And as they kissed for the fifteenth time, Percy felt like he was on a rainbow.


	30. Chapter 30

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or any related characters! Please, please, PLEASE review if you read; all feedback is greatly appreciated. You all are awesome, and thank you for reading my story!**

 _Five Years Later_

Percy thought about how wild his life was. He was technically twenty-three, but was in the body of an eighteen-year-old.

He and Thalia had been dating for five years, and it was still going strong. Their idea of a perfect evening is them sparring, them going canoeing, them going sightseeing, them reading comics in their Olympus hot-tub, and then them watching a movie. All in the same night. But not really.

As a god, Percy saw that time moved differently. It both moved slower and quicker. There was one time where he and Thalia had the best night ever; they had traveled all throughout Australia fighting monsters, eating new foods, seeing new movies, and finding a beautiful spot to chill out and watch the moon over the water. When Percy and Thalia had returned to Olympus, his father had informed him that four weeks had passed. _Four weeks._

They began to visit Hades in the Underworld once a week to have a meal with him and Persephone. Since they started that, Hades has warmed up to them. Blackjack had become his immortal steed, and was blessed with the ability to consistently ride with the winds, allowing them to travel places in the blink of an eye. Poseidon had given him a new _Anaklusmos_ blade., which became his official godly weapon, like his father's trident. His father had journeyed down to the Asopio Pool, retrieved the broken body of the original Riptide, and gave it to Hephaestus to fix and improve. The new one was five feet long instead of three (Hephaestus had used the rest of the celestial bronze in the nation to strengthen the old Riptide) and was still perfectly balanced for his now godly strength. The letters and the inscriptions glowed green whenever Percy touched it, and Percy could feel the power of the ocean in every swing.

Every single day for the past five years, he would use the new blade as he sparred against Athena, Ares, and Artemis at the same time. He thought that it would be fun to do with his new godly strength, speed, reflexes, and endurance.

He was so wrong.

During the first two years, he had gotten his behind handed to him painfully. Gods were still able to feel pain if it was inflicted by other deities. They must have "killed" (delivered a blow that would've been fatal to Percy if he was still a mortal) him seventy different ways during each meeting and they seemed to enjoy it. But as time went on, he began to get good enough where he was only getting killed fifty times, then twenty, then five, then one, then zero times.

After five years since becoming a god, he was so good of a fighter that he could hold his own against the three combat gods at once. Athena was the hardest because of her strategist mindset, but Percy had been fighting for five years straight; he was beginning to read every single movement and every possible attack there was. However, the first time he had beaten her, she told him that he had earned his title of the God of Swordsmanship. Ares gave Percy his grudging respect and they even went to kill huge monsters together a few times.

Artemis would call Percy one night of the week to commune with the moon due to its relationship with the tides. She had told him that she did this with Poseidon early in their existence in order to calm the waves of his mind, and now she wanted to take Percy. It was a very spiritual experience; they would create a raft and sail to the middle of the Pacific Ocean on a full moon. They would then meditate while feeling the moonlight energy flow through them. His petal would glow a light blue. This meditation created a communion with the moon and ended up increasing his power over the seas, as well as increasing his inner peace. He now felt relaxed most of the time unless his Wolf began to stir.

Iris would call him to the rainbows every other weekend and she would work with him to control his energy powers. He learned that the gods of Olympus drew their power from a godly source of power called "The Light." Percy learned from Iris that this light was what his body was feeling at all times, as if it was brimming with power. If Percy decided to let go, he would assume his new Divine Form, allowing him to bring his full essence and power into himself. She worked with Percy to help him harness The Light to create destructive energy blasts, energy explosions, and hard light weapons. Percy has only achieved his Divine Form a few times, and the feeling was indescribable.

Most days, he would go with Poseidon to a different body of water on the planet and they would practice his powers of hydrokinesis (control of water) and geokinesis (control of the earth). After a few years, Percy had total control over both elements; he could do anything with any water on the planet, as well as willing earthquakes and volcanic eruptions into existence. These displays of powers took no effort; it was as easy as blinking for him. He learned how to create storms and hurricanes, but he found that much easier to do with the help of Thalia.

Poseidon had taught him in his fourth year how to create horses and Pegasi. However, Percy had felt so weird about creating life, that Poseidon agreed to skip over that lesson. One thing he could not get down, though, was shapeshifting. He was starting to get very jealous of Frank, but Poseidon insisted that he just needed another twenty years of practice.

One time, Poseidon had re-introduced him to Amphitrite and Triton as the heir to Poseidon's throne. Triton threw a huge tantrum. He screamed that the throne was supposed to be his, and how Percy was just a filthy fleshling who was unworthy of everything good in life. He got so angry that he attacked Percy, but with one backhand, Triton was knocked into a coma, which he stayed in for a month. Poseidon had informed him that Triton swore revenge against the future God of the Seas, which Percy took a mental note about. He may be a formidable adversary and he made sure to keep an eye on him.

Regarding matters on Earth, when he had told his mother and Paul about the godship, she had hugged him tightly. She had told him, "Oh, Percy, that's wonderful. Poseidon had told me years ago that godship was the highest honor that a demigod could be offered. Just be sure that you visit from up high, and make sure no monsters break into here and attack us. Do gods still need laundry done? Ask Poseidon and report back to me."

Paul had attacked him with questions for about two hours about mostly the physics of being a god. When Percy had told one-year-old Cyrene, she had hit him, laughed, and said, "Per-Per."

A few weeks later, he had re-introduced Thalia to his mother and Cyrene and introduced her to Paul for the first time at the local Go-Kart place.

Paul hadn't blinked for a good fifteen seconds. "You…are the daughter…of…of Zeus…the king of the gods…good god…good _gods_ …"

Five years after the Percy accepting godship, his mother, Paul, and Cyrene had moved into a big house. His mother's book series had taken off, making her millions of dollars. At the request of her therapist, who she said was named Dr. Riordan, she wrote a set of books that detailed the adventures of an ADHD, trouble making boy who happened to be the son of Poseidon. They became a national commodity, and his family was traveling around the nation seemingly non-stop.

Cyrene was six years old. Her long brown hair was wavy and her eyes were a light caramel-brown. She was starting to develop a tanned complexion and her smile made Percy give in and spoil her. She saw her brother a few times a month, as if Percy was at college and would come up to visit her. Though Percy hadn't introduced her to the water, she had gotten really into swimming and was part of the swim team that Percy had created at the local community center. She took to the water very easily and became a swimming prodigy. It made her feel close to her brother and she built some strong relationships, especially with Carly, who was now the head of the community center. She was so good, in fact, that in first grade, she was competing against those who were in fifth and sixth grade, regularly finishing second or third place out of ten. Percy made sure to come to every single competition and Thalia joined him. They would be on the bleachers with white shirts, jeans, and sneakers with their fingers laced. Thalia would get into the sport; she would stand up and scream louder than Percy did.

Over the past five years, his godly senses would provide him unwanted information about a lot of people, but it made Percy happy that his friends had been prospering over the years.

Frank and Hazel had become power couple praetors at Camp Jupiter and they presided over the Camp with a firm, but gentle grasp.

Grover and Juniper had immortal satyr-dryad children (Percy didn't want to think about the anatomy of that).

Kofi was eighteen years old and is Camp Half-Blood's champion, fighting with two long black swords and a large amount of luck on his side (courtesy of his mother, Tyche, the Greek goddess of luck, chance, and fortune).

Luke was reborn into a new life and was seven years old, playing Little League baseball.

Annabeth was reborn as well and was five years old, living in a loving family where she is the captain of her spelling bee team.

Tyson was the official provider for armor at Camp Half-Blood. The armor had an underwater quality to it, with multi-colored scales that looked like they belonged on a fish.

At Percy, Grover, and Thalia's request, Chiron was offered godship in year three of the five. He took it, as it was his dream to live among Olympus. He was the god of centaurs and was studying under Athena to become to new God of Wisdom.

Jason and Piper were offered godship in year four of five, and they are now the gods of Thunder and Fate, respectively. Jason studied under Zeus while Piper studied under Aphrodite, to Hera's chagrin.

Leo and Calypso continued to travel the entire world until they reached every corner.

In order to let Hazel preside as praetor, Reyna had joined the Hunters in year two of the five, and rose to Lieutenant quickly. Together and with the permission of Artemis, Reyna's Hunters and Hylla's Amazons joined forces to create the formidable force of the Warriors. They created a full society where most of the Warriors were able to live with men, but the elite force of Artemis' Hand are the best of the best, swearing off men and working under the orders of the Goddess of the Hunt.

Percy and Grover had been working together to clean up the pollution in the water and in the earth, but it proved to be an almost insurmountable task; people didn't seem to care where they dumped their trash.

Nico and Will were finishing up college and New Rome, getting ready to get their degree in paleontology and nursing, respectively.

 _Some Time Later_

Over the years, the old Olympian gods stepped down from their thrones willingly. They had frankly grown bored of being in power all the time and decided to give up their seats of power (at least the majority of them felt that way). They now walk the Earth, exploring their own creation. They were known as the Old Gods of the Greek.

Percy's mother and Paul lived to a ripe old age, while Cyrene Bianca Jackson became a gold medalist Olympic swimmer, with awards that rivaled Michael Phelps, a fellow son of Poseidon. Whenever Percy would visit Cyrene, he would take a form that reflected how old he was supposed to be, in order to keep Cyrene's mind in the normal world.

The demigod heroes, at one point or another, had stepped up to a throne of power. They were not the Olympian Gods, but the Immortal Demigods. However, at Percy and Jason's request, they kept the "Demi-" part of the name to differentiate themselves; they were still part human and they acted like it.

The lineup was as follows: **Jason** (God of the Sky, Thunder, and Strength), **Piper** (Goddess of Love, Fate, and Charm), **Perseus** (God of the Sea, Heroes, and Tides), **Thalia** (Goddess of the Hunt, Lightning and Battle), **Reyna** (Goddess of War), **Leo** (God of Fire, Weapons and Technology), **Calypso** (Goddess of Agriculture, Springtime, and Nature), **Nico** (God of Death, Riches, and the Underworld), **Solace** (God of the Sun, Healing, and Music), **Connor** (God of Messengers; Travis acts his Roman Side), **Hazel** (Goddess of the Hearth, Home, and Horses), and **Grover** (God of the Wild). Frank was a minor god of Animals, but he turned down a spot on the Council, saying that he was done presiding over people and making decisions for a while. He lived with Hazel and had a quiet, happy life with her.

Kofi was made into the minor god of Fortune, Luck, and Chance, and was dating Reyna. Reyna had once been told that no demigod was going to heal her heart, but once Kofi became a god, his bravery and charm attracted Reyna to him.

Chiron now served as the God of Wisdom and Centaurs, also serving as their official advisor. He has been living with Demeter in their home in Olympus.

Dionysus also has been living with his immortal wife Medea in Olympus as well.

The Immortal Demigods allowed Rachel to become the minor goddess of the Mist, which is one of the first times that a pure mortal went from that to being a deity.

Iris finally returned back to the Earth and re-opened her store up. Business is booming now, especially upon the mortals. Grover's pushing and passion worked; people were starting to finally take care of nature and themselves. About forty percent of America was vegetarian, which was a statistic Percy never though he'd ever hear.

Percy made sure that every single innocent Titan descendant, nymph, minor god/goddess that were under punishment by Olympus were released form their burden.

Blackjack remained his immortal steed and he had a family of small Pegasi with a nice female Pegasus.

The Immortal Demigods had combined Camp Jupiter and Camp Half-Blood to serve one singular purpose. Camp Jupiter was now The School of Jupiter. It was an institution that employed demigods, satyrs, nymphs, and minor gods as teachers. Grade levels went from middle school to college. Demigods from around the world (the gods still got around) would go to the residential School in order to get their attention while still learning about their own heritage. Since the individuals who went to the schools would still be demigods, they would be the Immortal Demigods' siblings. As a result, Percy and the crew of Demigods would support them, advise them, and appear to them as siblings, not children.

The teachers would teach them about the legends of the Old Gods as well as the current Immortal Demigods. Gym class was similar to that of the movie _Sky High;_ they would learn how to use their demigod abilities while getting in shape. Over the summer though, they would have the option to go back to their families or attend Camp Half-Blood, which was the official summer camp for The School of Jupiter. At Camp, they would learn the tactics of both Roman and Greek combat and become proficient with their weapons. Since Frank was an immortal now, he assisted with the logistics of the two places, operating as the de facto Chiron.

Percy and the rest of the crew decided to modernize Olympus a bit, and they made it look more like a city with marble white skyscrapers and apartments. The gods would live in the apartments with one another and they would report to the conference room whenever they needed to make any big decisions.

For the most part, the times were peaceful.

And Percy's wife and family made it all the more worthwhile.


	31. Epilogue

**Disclaimer: I do not own Percy Jackson or any related characters! Please, please, PLEASE review if you read; all feedback is greatly appreciated. You all are awesome, and thank you for reading my story!**

Epilogue

Percy and Thalia were still going strong.

Thalia was very much at home in her new position as Goddess of the Hunt. She now had a little bit of silver in her electric blue eyes, that would glow or become more silver as she would use her powers. She was either feared or respected amongst the world of Greek gods and monsters, and only loved by her friends, especially Percy. Thalia enjoyed hanging out with her brother and advising him in his decisions regarding Olympus. She loved to spend time sparring with Reyna since she was one of the few people that could match her in combat skills.

Thalia abolished the rule of no romance for the elite Thalia's Hand; those who were offered a spot in the elite team were offered based upon skill and merit alone. Thalia would go down to Camp Half-Blood and help train them or save them from time to time, but she gave her lieutenant a strong amount of autonomy regarding leading Thalia's Hand.

Percy's transition from intern to heir to the God of the Seas was fairly seamless. He had complete control and dominion over the seas, the earth, shapeshifting, the tides, Poseidon's animals, life creation, energy manipulation, and his godly strength and speed only continued to grow.

Triton tried to rise up against Percy few times, but Percy stopped him without even having to leave Olympus. One time, he had ridden into Atlantis on top of Cetus, an ancient sea monster. Before he could enter the borders, Percy had teleported there and stood between his half-brother and the city. Percy knew that Triton and the monster didn't stand a choice against him, but he had needed to talk to his half-brother.

Triton had on his regular pearl-studded armor and his long black hair was tied up in a ponytail. He was holding a golden trident, a smaller replica of their father's. His green skin and green eyes had glowed in the depths of the sea. Percy was sure that his eyes was doing the same.

"Triton, don't do this. You don't want to."

Triton had sneered. "But I want to, _Perseus._ The throne was _mine! MINE,_ I tell you. And you stole it from me. You can't do that!"

He beat his chest with his fist. "I EARNED THAT THRONE!"

Percy made Riptide disappear and leaned against the golden gates casually as an attempt to de-escalate the situation.

"Then take it, Triton. I never wanted to take the throne from you. When did I ever say that I wanted to do that?"

Triton raised his trident with an expression of fury, but stopped once Percy's words registered. "Wait…what did you say? Poseidon…he was on the throne and he ruled his underwater kingdom."

Percy remembered the arrogance that Triton had showed him years ago, but he also remembered Triton's respect for Tyson and his enthusiasm for their father's kingdom. He mentally told the sea monster to put Triton down, and it did. It then swam the other way at Percy's subsequent command. He walked up to Triton, who still seemed tense like Percy was trying to trick him. He put his hands up to make sure he maintained his non-threatening image. He tried for a smile.

"Triton, I'm not Poseidon. I have to take care of Thalia, Camp Half-Blood, the underwater creatures, the Pegasi, and all bodies of water on this planet, as well as the affairs of the gods. Conversely, you've trained your whole life for the job. I can be God of the Seas and you can be King of Atlantis, man. It's no problem."

Triton swam closer to him and looked at Percy in the eyes. His eyes were moving back and forth, as if trying to find some hint of deception. Percy matched his gaze and he stuck out his hand.

"I just need you to regularly update me about what is going on down here, so if I need to intervene, I can. No one will know about this…attack attempt, but I just need you to grow up. Atlantis' king needs maturity and intelligence on the throne, and I have no doubt that you have both. I just need you to consistently display both. Is that good for you? Is that a deal?"

Triton had looked at him once more and shook his hand. Percy grinned and nodded. He had teleported back to Olympus, happy that the threat was neutralized. Tyson would've torn Triton apart if any of his attacks had gotten past the gates. The next time Triton had updated him about Atlantis, he had told Percy that he had earned Amphitrite's grudging respect. According to her, not every god would be willing to give up power and rule like that.

He had told the whole story to Thalia while she was shooting target practice with her bow and arrow. She had shaken her head and smiled.

"You're a better person than me, Percy. I don't know how easily I would've given up an entire kingdom."

Percy had smiled and kissed her on the cheek. "Me running Atlantis would be a disaster; honestly, when I saw Triton was so passionate about it, I let him have it. It wasn't a big deal at all."

* * *

He and Thalia were living together in an Olympian apartment. Over the past few years, Thalia turned out to be a very…charged individual when it came to…libido. There was never a dull moment with her and over the years, eventually, Thalia became pregnant.

Thalia had gone to the gardens and looked out towards the plants. Percy found her there looking at one of the glowing blue flowers.

She exhaled. "Do we have to raise this child on Olympus? Surrounded by gods and satyrs and centaurs? What if they want to live a normal life?"

Percy exhaled. "I'm glad you said that, because I was thinking the exact same thing. What if we build a house? Right by the ocean?"

Thalia looked to him and smiled. "That would be pretty cool, Aquaman."

They had built a quiet little place by the Pacific Ocean on one of the emptier Hawaiian Islands. They agreed with one another that despite their godly heritage, they wanted to give their children an opportunity for a normal life on Earth.

Percy could have just waved his hand to create the house, but he and Thalia decided to put the house together themselves. They built it, painted it, built the furniture, and had Leo and Calypso come in to install some electronics and some plumbing within the house. It was part of the concept of them keeping themselves humbled. Thalia always pushed him to continue to do human things like walking through doors or doing woodshop work or reading books. She constantly told him that even though he had these fantastic powers, it was important for him to maintain a level of work ethic and humility so he didn't end up like Apollo, conceited and self-centered.

When Thalia gave birth, Will Solace had come to help her deliver it. They had identical twin girls: Kendra and Andromeda. All the Demigods and the Old Gods came to see them, as well as some of Thalia's Hand. Most of the Demigods lived up in Olympus, but when they wanted a break from all of the godly things, they would come down to their house by the sea and just hang out on beach chairs, talking about life.

Thalia and Percy didn't want their children to only know about the life of the gods because they could get very spoiled very quickly. Instead, they wanted their children to learn humility, control, and social skills. As a result, they sent their kids to a small school in one of those villages that had elementary school, middle school, and high school in the same area.

One thing Percy and Thalia never wanted to do was lie to their children. Percy and Thalia were always up front about their godliness, but explained to the children that they wanted them to be of ample age before they could decide which path they wanted to follow. A godly path can be dangerous and taxing. Until they were old enough to make an educated decision, Percy and Thalia had them wear necklaces that dampened their powers. It made their blood turn red, and stopped their eyes from glowing from power, allowing them to live their lives as regular humans.

* * *

One day, when the kids were ten, they were getting ready for their first day of fifth grade.

Kendra slung on her backpack. She was the more laid back of the two, taking more after Percy's personality. She loved to smile, play sports, and hang out with friends. Even at ten, she was an extrovert and fed off the social interactions of others. She was involved in the school play and the chess club. She had on a light green shirt matched with light blue jeans. She had stormy green eyes and long black hair that fell all around her.

"Daddy, when are we seeing Grandpa again?"

Percy was making sure that her lunch was packed and he looked up quickly. "Which one?"

"Grandpa P!"

Andromeda ran into the kitchen as well, with a blue shirt and black jeans. She had ocean blue eyes, but was otherwise physically identical to Kendra. Andromeda was fiercer than Kendra was. She was more of an introvert, and would much rather hang out with animals than people. However, she was smiling up at her dad, one of the few people she adored in the world.

"Grandpa P is coming?"

Percy shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Let me ask you, Ken. Where does Grandpa P take you whenever he hangs out with you?"

"To the sea," Kendra said. Andromeda whipped towards her sister in exasperation and Kendra covered her mouth.

"Oops," she said through her covered mouth.

Percy shook his head. Poseidon always wanted to test their abilities when it came to the sea, even though Percy wanted them to focus on school. His father, over the years, would just walk the seas and explore all the waters of the Earth. Though some sea monsters and minor gods still tried to treat him like the sea god, he was quick to point out that Percy now held that title. When Zeus would come to visit, he would check their lightning manipulation powers to see how much they inherited from him. Zeus would travel the world, not so much out of curiosity, but more to avoid Hera, who was trying to hunt him down.

What worried Percy was that his daughters _loved_ testing the extent of their powers, and when they were together, they were unbelievably strong, even with the power suppression charms.

There was one time when the twins were having a nightmare. They had created a sea storm so powerful that Percy himself couldn't calm it immediately he usually could. He had to use a good portion of his godly power to calm the storm, and Thalia had to run into the house and hum them back to a docile sleep.

Thalia came into the kitchen with Andromeda's backpack. She kissed Percy and gave both Kendra and Andromeda small static shocks that caused them to yelp.

"I thought I told you all that you are to focus on your school. Your powers can be harmful to others. If you want to explore your powers, you can do so after you do your homework and on the beach in front of us. But besides that, and I don't care if it's with Grandpa, you are to keep those necklaces on so you all don't hurt anyone. Is that clear?"

Andromeda turned to Thalia. "When are we going to Olympus, Mom? You and Dad talk about it all the time and I want to see Olympus!"

Lightning struck in Thalia's eyes. "Is that clear, An?"

Andromeda glared back, but looked at the ground. "Yes, ma'am."

Thalia bent down and caressed Andromeda's face, gesturing for Kendra to come to her. Kendra ran to her, smiling. Thalia grinned at them. "You two are more powerful than you know. And once you all graduate high school, we will have the conversation of you choosing to follow the path of the gods or the path of humans. But right now, I need you two to focus on getting past the fifth grade. Is that clear, both of you?"

"Yes, ma'am," they both answered.

Percy dried his hands as he finished their lunches. He shook his head in disbelief; Thalia always had a way with their kids.

He handed them their bag lunches; he was glad that his children didn't only have a taste for ambrosia, but actual food from Earth as well. "Race you all to you the car!"

His daughters screamed as they burst out the door, running to the old car that was outside. Thalia gave him a kiss, telling him, "Be careful, Percy. Remember, we have a meeting in the conference room at one today."

Even though they lived in that house by the sea, they would still teleport to Olympus to make important decisions regarding the Camps, monsters that got lose, and how much they can intervene in their half-siblings' affairs. They had gotten rid of the Olympian throne room in favor of a more modern conference room, with chairs that were decorated with paintings and artifacts that were relevant to their area of power.

Though Kendra and Andromeda were raised as humans, if they had finished their homework and chores, Percy and Thalia would take them to the isolated beach and allow them to explore their powers. They would move waves, make the clouds come in, and one time, they even made lightning flash.

Percy and Thalia would also slowly introduce objects from their godly life to them. For their birthday one year, Percy introduced them to one of Blackjack's children Pegasi. They loved it, but they knew that they had to wait until they were older to be fully invested in this life and maybe have a Pegasus of their own.

And so, for years, Percy and Thalia had a peaceful life; living in the house by the sea, raising two beautiful little girls. During the day, they would teleport to Olympus to train, go to meetings, reach out to their half-siblings, destroy large monsters before they could rage the United States, fixing god-level disasters, etc. Percy would watch and bless the demigod heroes while Thalia would watch over the Warriors and Thalia's hand.

Just like Percy and Thalia wanted, their daughters grew up normal. They got good grades, they got bad ones, they got in trouble in school, they got detention. Andromeda got into a few fights, but Kendra would back her up and end up landing both of them in a parent-teacher conference. They had crushes on boys, they even dated a few of them (Percy was the good cop and Thalia was the hard one to impress). They even went to prom. Kendra wore a glittery green dress while Andromeda had worn an elegant black one.

* * *

As eighteen-year-olds, the twins had grown into strong young women. Both had grown to 5'11, a perfect balance between Thalia's 5'10 and Percy's 6'0. They both had tanned skin, angular features, and jet black hair that reached their mid-backs. They had Olympian-physique bodies since they both played every sport they possibly could at their small school.

Andromeda had ocean blue eyes that seemed to always swirl with waves. She had gotten more confident over the years, but still tended to be more of a realist compared to Kendra's optimist. She usually wore her long hair up in a ponytail or a bun.

Kendra's eyes were still a stormy green that didn't match her disposition. As she grew, she got more cheerful and happy to be around. However, she had a _temper._ Though Percy and Thalia were glad it was righteous anger, to others, she was more terrifying to be around than Andromeda when she was angry.

Every individual who stopped by the house has said everything from: "Your daughters are beautiful," to, "Your daughters are drop-dead gorgeous," to, "You might want to hide them." Percy tried to not strangle Apollo for that last statement. Guys would come by the twins' house, come to them at the twins' work (as lifeguards), write them poems, sing them songs, ask them to "model" for them, etc.

Apparently, his daughters were beautiful. Luckily for them, they looked more like their mother than him.

Once Kendra and Andromeda graduated high school, Percy and Thalia had driven them back to the house and surprised them with a huge boat that Percy worked with Leo to build and deck out. They were going to take Kendra and Andromeda on a cruise as their gift.

When they got to the beach house, Kendra and Andromeda had walked onto their beach in their white graduation robes and turned towards him and Thalia. Their necklaces were shining in the sun, and Percy thought about the one conversation they were definitely going to be having with them on the boat.

Kendra's hands went to her mouth when she saw the boat, her eyes shining. "Dad. DAD! Is this really happening?!"

Andromeda was slack-jawed. "Mom, is this ours? Is this for us?"

Thalia smiled and nodded. "Yes. For your graduation, we're going to take you to the sea. We have catered meals, big-screen televisions, queen-sized beds, hot tubs, massages, the whole nine yards. We have everything you all need regarding hygiene and clothes, so you don't have to pack. Just go in!"

Kendra jumped up and down, tears in her eyes. Andromeda turned to her parents.

"Are you all sure that you can afford this?"

The question made Percy's heart tug. Though they could materialize money whenever they wanted, Percy and Thalia made sure that they weren't living in a mansion; they wanted their daughters to grow up being responsible with their money. They wanted them to be humble and appreciate life for everything it has to offer. And from Andromeda's question, it seems like they did their job.

Percy grinned. "Yeah. Call it a favor. Go! Hustle up, your mom and I will be there soon."

Andromeda gave a small smile and kissed both Percy and Thalia on the cheek. She took off her heels and sprinted towards the boat, grabbing Kendra's hand and pulling her along. Kendra got pulled along with a "Woooaaaaahhhh!"

Thalia slung her arm around Percy and kissed him on the cheek. "Well, they actually graduated high school. Not bad, Aquaman. Not bad at all."

He sighed as he watched them run and board the boat. "They remind me so much of you."

Thalia did a double take and leaned away from him in disbelief. "Of me?! I see you in them every single day. They both have your smile, which makes all the guys swoon."

Percy grinned and Thalia continued. "Even in their eyes, which I think is a cool combination of our own."

Percy laughed and nodded. "Stormy green and ocean blue? Yeah, that is cool."

Thalia moved in front of him; she was wearing a plain white shirt with dark wash jeans and sandals. Her physical appearance was now about twenty-eight; they wanted to make sure that they didn't look like teenagers with teenage children. Those PTA conferences would be pretty awkward.

Her electric blue eyes swirled with silver and her hair was pulled up into a ponytail, strengthening the resemblance between her and Andromeda. She radiated with power, but also glowed with peace.

"Which path do you think they'll choose?"

Percy shook his head. "Honestly? The path of the gods."

Thalia nodded as they watched the twins board the boat. "They've been so passionate about it since they learned that we were immortal. They're like the ocean; hard to contain and impossible to control."

Percy sighed and grabbed Thalia's hand. "Well, we never know until we ask. I love you, Wonder Woman."

She reached up and kissed him, then said, "Race you to the boat!"

She took off and Percy ran after her.

Once they had been on the water for a few days, Kendra and Andromeda were called to the deck of the ship by their parents. Percy had on black shirt with bathing suit shorts. His necklace hung down and his petal was glowing half light-blue, and half deep yellow. Thalia wore a swimsuit, but wore a dark blue shirt over it.

Kendra and Andromeda came up from their rooms, looking pretty sleepy. They had both had on purple shirts and gray sweatpants as their sleepwear.

Andromeda rubbed her eyes as Kendra yawned. "Daddy, it's 8:00. What's up?"

Percy grinned as Thalia rolled her eyes. She stood up. "Girls, I want you to take off your necklaces."

Just as he predicted, that woke them up immediately. Kendra excitedly began to do it while Andromeda looked at her mother.

"Are you sure? You told us to never take this off."

Thalia smiled and nodded. "Take off your necklace, An."

Within seconds, they both had their necklaces off. Percy watched in wonder as their eyes began to glow. Power almost visibly coursed through their bodies and both girls yelped.

Kendra smiled. "That is…tingly. Wow. You never had us take off our necklaces even when we were practicing at home."

Thalia nodded. "That's because it's time for you all to choose. We told you that once you graduated high school, we would give you the choice. Percy?"

Percy stood as well. "You all have the blood of the gods. We are offering you two paths; the path of normalcy and the path of the gods. I must tell you, though; the path of normalcy includes you all going to college, getting a job, making friends, dating people, and maybe having a family. You would be mortal, for all intents and purposes, as long as you keep that necklace on. However, if you choose the path of the gods, that includes you all going to Olympus, training with the Immortal Demigods, getting your godly title, and living a life of an immortal forever. We wanted you to have this choice because your mother and I never had that opportunity."

Kendra looked on sadly while Andromeda stared stoically. Percy looked off into the sea, feeling the sea breeze blow through the deck and the sun warm his skin. He felt the Hawaiian water rush beneath him just as he felt his arms on him; he could move them, flex them, wiggle them, and otherwise have complete control over them. His petal glowed completely light blue.

Thalia looked at her children while Percy continued. "Your mother and I were sort of thrust into this world with no say in the matter. And that's not what we wanted with you. Even though there may have been a better way, we wanted you all to at least have a choice. We wanted you to grow up learning how to share, how to save, playing sports, dating people, going to school dances, helping people, getting your first job, etc. Those help you learn valuable lessons and we feel that you've learned them. So, whereas most people may go off to college and on the next step of their career, we are offering you the next step of you all's journey. Which one did you want to choose?"

Kendra and Andromeda looked at one another meaningfully. Andromeda nodded at Kendra, who stepped forward. Her stormy green eyes glowed with power and her skin seemed to radiate with strength.

"Dad, Mom, we want to follow the path of the gods. Not that the normal life wasn't great; it was. We did learn good lessons during our time here. An and I have talked about this a lot. Even though we were focusing on high school, we felt an internal calling to the sea and into the sky. School and jobs seemed so small compared to what we felt was our destiny was. We want nothing more than to explore our powers and honestly, follow in the footsteps of our parents."

Andromeda stepped forward, her eyes glowing with a cool ocean blue. "You all are the best people in the whole world. You two are our role models, and we know that you all have a place in Olympus. And if we could be half of what you two are, we would be happy. But you've been hiding a good part of your life from us in an attempt to protect us, when really, we felt like it should've been our choice regarding our involvement in the life of the gods. We do understand that you wanted us to be old and mature enough to make a decision, but that calling was almost overwhelming at times. It was hard to focus on a Spanish quiz when he had just met a Pegasus the day before or when we saw you and Mom teleport to Olympus in a flash of lightning. I hope you know though, we fully intend on surpassing you and reaching a level you two never could."

Percy's mouth twitched. "You're going to need to earn your godship. Is that something you all are prepared to do?"

Immediately, the twins answered, "Yes."

Percy and Thalia raised their eyebrows and glanced at each other at the same time. Once they did, they smiled and Thalia nodded at him. She took out her book and began to read. The twins were confused for a second until Percy jumped off the edge and into the water.

They watched him swim down and looked at Thalia. Without looking up at her book, she waved her hand towards the water. "Go on. Your father wants to show you something before we take you to Olympus."

Kendra and Andromeda looked at each other and smiled. With an ecstatic yell, they jumped off the edge, plunging into the water. Percy taught them how to breathe and swim underwater, almost as well as Cyrene could.

They then took off into the deep as Percy showed them the wonders and the beauty of the sea.

* * *

Thalia and Percy had taken their daughters to Olympus to meet the Immortal Demigods. Once they announced their children's decision to become gods, Reyna immediately stated that they need to go through six years of training before they can become minor goddesses. Kendra and Andromeda accepted just as quickly, ready to become gods.

The first year, the Immortal Demigods put them through knowledge and history building. Chiron would lead it, and would even give them tests on their knowledge of Greco-Roman culture, monsters, heroes, and deities. Though they were restless to fight, after a year, they were well-versed in everything they needed to be.

The second year, to Kendra and Andromeda's relief, they trained heavily in swordsmanship and battle. They would go into this large arena and spar against Reyna; mostly since she was the Demigoddess of War. However, Reyna would occasionally bring in some visitors such as Artemis, Athena, Mars, and even Jason and Thalia. Reyna and Thalia had them use every single weapon known to man, and taught them until they were proficient in all of them. Their preferred weapons were swords, which Percy was happy about. Over this year, he noticed that they were deceptively quick learners.

He had trouble fighting his daughters because he was always deathly afraid that he would hurt them. Thalia had no such qualms; she said that it was like Poseidon play wrestling with his son. Percy wasn't so sure about that, but he digressed. The twins fought against those adversaries and each other, and for the better part of a year, they were getting destroyed by Reyna. However, as the year came to a close, their fighting skills had gotten to the point where they could individually fight Reyna to a standstill.

Percy and Thalia found out as they watched the twins fight; when they were together, their strength grew and they were nearly unstoppable, even in their first year of training. When they were apart, they were still formidable. But together, they could best Reyna and Artemis easily.

The third year, they trained with Thalia, Artemis, Grover, and Frank about how to hunt and how to commune with the moonlight and the animals. They always used Percy as the "beast" they were hunting, and though the Wolf made a valiant effort every time, by the end of the year Percy would exit the hunting ground dripping in arrows. His daughters ended up learning how to move without sound, faster than the eye can follow. They were also able to hunt and capture nearly anything. Artemis had once confided in Percy that they were almost as good at hunting as Orion was. Over this year, though, they would continue to spar and fight, improving their skills in that area.

The fourth year, they trained with Percy, Poseidon, and Triton regarding the sea. Though they were only had a quarter of Poseidon's blood, their power and control was impressive. Percy taught them how to move and control the water in both the seas and out of it. They learned how to make whirlpools and tsunamis from that. Their grandfather taught them how to use their earthshaking abilities to make earthquakes, islands, landslides, and volcanoes. Though their abilities were a little weak, they showed themselves being able to shake the grounds and create islands with a good amount of effort. Underwater, Triton trained them in underwater combat, but not before proposing to both of them to become his immortal wives (with the same line). Luckily they said no, and Percy smacked Triton upside the head. Percy, Poseidon, and Triton sent out a telepathic message to all the sea monsters, who came to meet the new addition to the family of Poseidon.

The fifth year, they trained with Jason, Zeus, and Thalia over their control regarding the skies. What they seemed to take to easily was creating any type of storms and generating lightning. They were also able to create winds, tornadoes, and cyclones. However, anything regarding manipulating air currents or any other applied power was nearly impossible for them.

The sixth year, they trained with Iris who taught them how to tap into the Light. They learned how to manipulate godly energy, reach their Divine Form, and harness that energy in their battles. Once the sixth year was over, they were called back into the Olympus Conference Room (the Demigods had gotten rid of the thrones). In a unanimous decision, they were made Kendra and Andromeda, Twin Goddesses of the Storms (Leo preferred Twin Storm Goddesses).

They began to quickly make a name for themselves as fearsome storm goddesses that nearly always traveled together. They wielded twin golden blades named _Ceraun_ and _Kerauno_. Those terms, translated to English from Ancient Greek, meant Thunder and Lightning. Word of their differences in personality caused people to try to appeal to Kendra's generous side whenever they were in trouble.

However, though people saw Kendra as the "nice one," she had a _temper_. Whereas Andromeda was always a bit more abrasive, she was more controlled than Kendra. Kendra, conversely, was mostly cheerful but was exponentially more terrifying than Andromeda when she was angry.

When both Kendra and Andromeda were angry and together, Percy was convinced that no force of Olympus, Earth, or Tartarus could defeat them. It didn't matter if they were fighting against ten Demigods and Old Gods, if they were together, they would be powerful enough to hold their own. However, separately, they were still a little bit above-average regarding the powers of a regular storm goddess.

* * *

Now that Percy and Thalia's children were grown up and were storm goddesses, Percy and Thalia began to focus their attention more on Olympus and the godly affairs of the world. Percy was curious what their "conflict" was going to be as a pantheon. The Titans had the Primordial Deities as their "conflict," the Old Gods had the Titans as their "conflict," but Percy wasn't sure what the Immortal Demigods were going to have as their "main conflict."

His question was answered when some of the mortal Greek demigods ran into some of the heroes embroiled in the Norse pantheon of gods. Though they tried to get along with one another, they ended up killing each other. The Norse pantheon of gods, the _Aesir_ and the _Vanir,_ responded with some an attack upon Camp Half-Blood over the summer, which Camp responded with an attack upon their own soil. The _Vanir,_ as the Norse's equivalent to minor gods, unsuccessfully tried to attack Olympus, which resulted in the Demigods telling the _Aesir,_ the Norse's equivalent to the main gods,to come talk to them. To keep thing safe and contained, Frank had gone to meet with Loki in Antarctica to call a truce.

The Demigods were waiting in the conference room, when Nico stood up. His glowing white eyes were moving back and forth as if he was panicking. He had looked at all of them and declared that Frank had died. The Demigods, in spectacular fashion, had teleported to Antarctica to see Frank's body. He had a fiery hole blown into his stomach, and he was lying on the Antarctic snow.

Hazel had screamed in despair and cuddled Frank's head as she rocked him back and forth. Percy felt like both crying and killing someone. Jason had knelt down and touched the hole's luminescent cinders, concluding that it was Loki who had used his pyrokinetic abilities to attack Frank in this isolated meeting spot.

As the Arctic wind blew sharply through the air, Reyna's eyes steeled and she declared war.

The death of Frank was the catalyst of the huge war between the Greco-Roman Demigods and the _Aesir._ It was this huge battle that took place on multiple fronts.

One of the turning points of the battle was the battle between Kendra and Andromeda vs. Thor. Thalia had forbidden their children to enter the battle for fear of their own safety. However, the Demigods were too busy fighting the rest of the _Aesir_ as the countless minor Greek gods fought the _Vanir._ The Greek demigods were fighting the Norse ones, and everyone was fighting someone.

Thor had been trudging through the Indian Ocean, ready to walk to America. With the Demigods' attention diverted, he had a clean path straight to Olympus and prepared to destroy it. Kendra and Andromeda had appeared in bolts of lightning, telling him to turn back. Since Thor was the Norse god of thunder, strength, and storms, he wasn't impressed with their powerful storms and he fought them.

However, he underestimated their prowess, and in a fateful moment of the war, Kendra attacked him head on with a sword thrust containing lightning in it. Thor had swung his hammer to block the attack, but like a clap of thunder, Andromeda had silently zoomed across the water and sliced Thor's throat. Faster than sound, Kendra had then spun her sword, charged it with lightning, and decapitated him, stopping the advance of the god of Thunder.

The entire Norse pantheon of gods felt Thor's death and attacked even harder. How the war finally ended was that Percy and Njord, the Norse god of the seas, had secretly met at one of the Hawaiian Islands. Together, they talked their problems out with each other and realized this entire war was due to a misunderstanding. They combined and power to bring all the gods and Demigods who were fighting to the island, and together, they had talked it out in a raw and emotional conversation.

Once the conversation was over, they held funerals for Frank and Thor. In order to prevent this from ever happening again, the Demigods scheduled to have meetings with every pantheon of gods they could, in order to make sure that they could all live in peace.

By Thalia's side and watching his daughters grow in power and wisdom, Percy had pretty high hopes for the future.

 **Note: Thank you for everyone reading the story! Thank you to all the reviewers, you all are amazing. Special shout out to JC RH for sticking with the story since the beginning; you are amazing. I hope this story provided something different and something original for you and I hope you all enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Cheers!**


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